Mahi Pai Northland tour is for two months across different schools in the region and is aimed to uplift tamariki hygiene. Photo / Tania Whyte
Mahi Pai Northland tour is for two months across different schools in the region and is aimed to uplift tamariki hygiene. Photo / Tania Whyte
A team of 12, including six magic taniwha, is touring Northland to spread a 'rainbow of positive energy' across Te Tai Tokerau schools.
Mahi Pai team, in their fully-equipped self-sufficient campervans, are running a campaign raising tamariki hauora and hygiene awareness all around Aotearoa, starting with Northland.
The tour began on March 11, as the talking taniwha wooed the pupils of Ruakākā Primary School with their magical performance – dance, music, lessons on te reo and sign language, and positive messaging – followed by giveaways of magic sanitiser mist, taniwha soap, and make-a-wish dust.
Ruakākā School pupils Daryll Morunga, 7, Maddox Jones, 8, and Manoa Kinnear, 9, getting ready for the taniwha performance. Photo / Tania Whyte
Mahi Pai director, and performer, Lisa Minhinnick said Northland was a focus area for the Ministry of Health where tamariki were hard to reach in remote areas.
"We are not looking to influence any decisions by whānau, rather, we want to uplift their wairua."
Meet the all-rounder achiever of Mahi Pai's Talking Taniwha Northland tour, Kori. Kori is a champion sporty taniwha. Photo / Tania Whyte
The tour will continue through March and April across different schools in Tai Tokerau, and Minhinnick said they wanted to go to as many remote places as possible.
"This isn't about reaching numbers; it is about connecting with tamariki who wouldn't have these opportunities, especially in the current times."
Northland remains the least vaccinated region in the country, with only 87.9 per cent of the population over 12 is fully vaccinated, while 69.8 per cent have had their booster.
For tamariki between the ages 5 and 12 (19,480), less than 5 per cent are fully vaccinated (524) and 33.8 per cent (6579) are partially vaccinated.
Minhinnick said the aim of the tour was to support tamariki and uplift their wellbeing, irrespective of their whānau's vaccine choices.
"We want to spread some positive energy. There's been a whole lot of negative energy and a focus on that negativity and so, we really want to change that.
"We want to go around Northland, spreading a rainbow of positive energy.
"We are not influencing any huge decision and it does not matter whether the whānau is pro-vaccine or against."
Obviously, tamariki wellness was the focus and so some of our messaging was about eating well, drinking lots of water, playing safely with friends, said Minhinnick.
Kamaka is a haka and mau rākau expert of the Talking Taniwha team. Photo / Tania Whyte
The campaign received an overwhelming response from Northland schools and Minhinnick said they had a contact-less plan ready to go.
"We are coming on the field, we have got our own facilities, completely self-sufficient. We don't really need any assistance from schools, we can come and go without even having any contact."
Promoting tamariki hygiene in Northland school was one part of the Mahi Pai campaign. They were also supporting marae, iwi and communities with their vaccination clinics as the other part.
Noah Sloane, 7, and Owain Jones, 7, of Ruakākā School enjoy Mahi Pai's taniwha performance. Photo / Tania Whyte
"There are two different approaches and we are supporting all tamariki."
