Garden Design Fest
More Club volunteers needed. Register with Kay Madigan on www.gardendesignfest.co.nz
Genevieve Mora
We were pleased to welcome Genevieve to our meeting on Tuesday evening – cofounder, with Jazz Thornton, of Voices of Hope [ www.thevoicesofhope.org ]. Genevieve outlined their current mental health sports campaign – Behind the Jersey.....Holly Kewene
President Dave introduced Holly to the meeting – the recipient of our 2021/2 MAPAS Award, advancing Maori & Pacific Island students into Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. Holly, 19, is of Maori and Samoan descent and graduated top student in her class. She hopes to be accepted next year into the B. Med. Sc. degree. She capably acknowledged the Award, and some of the role models who had helped her on her academic journey to date. Melanie Medland
Our speaker this week is involved – like Genevieve - with the mental health of young people. She works also with parents and employers. Her engagement with education is key: in particular the support provided to parents as well as youth.
After introducing herself in time and place, Melanie then described for us the power of “kia ora.”
She outlined the interweaving of listening [rongo], leading to awareness, resulting in understanding which in turn provides knowledge - all interconnected in an endless loop.
Melanie told us of some of her experiences as a flight attendant earlier in her career. Increasingly now in our day to day personal interactions we are using ‘kia ora” – literally “to be well” - not only as a welcoming “hello”, but also as a positive affirmation “yes, we agree”. ....
She told us of the difficulties her daughter had had in welcoming covid-certificate customers arriving at the café where she was working with an introductory “kia ora”; and how one of those folk reacted very badly.
She ended her instructive address with more personal background on her Cornish forbears arriving and settling at Medlands Beach on Great Barrier Island, comparing their reaction to the land with that of her Maori tipuna at Moeraki on Te Wai Pounamu.
Her message was clear: cultural awareness is the responsibility of us all.
An engaging and challenging presentation.