Ara Taiohi

Kia ora, Here's some more info: I grew up in Levin, went to uni in Auckland and China, then waitressed in Japan for a bit before moving via Pōneke to Paraparaumu. I got into social service mahi almost by accident, through volunteering at Women's Refuge. I've now been doing mahi supporting whānau to recover from sexual and domestic violence for a while, and I also do restorative justice facilitation. I also work for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as a relief kaiako. Along the way, I've got pretty frustrated by how some orgs kind of ignore Te Tiriti, so I've tried to educate myself by studying te reo Māori and kaitiakitanga through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Church and spirituality are part of my life too, but it's sometimes a complicated relationship. Feel free to ask about that. I really respect if you have any (or no) spiritual or religious beliefs. I do know the sometimes complicated dynamics of working for a faith-based org.