Mentors try to wean Maori off daytime TV

By ANGELA GREGORY

About half the Maori adults being helped in a parenting project in Auckland watched too much daytime television instead of playing or talking to their children.

The Maori Women's Welfare League has been running the Whanau Toko E Te Ora project for nine months.

Senior league members work as mentors with at-risk families to improve parenting skills.

The project coordinator for Auckland, Evelyn Taumaunu, said 34 mentors were helping about 60 Maori families in the city.

In at least half the cases, parents were watching far too much television and not spending enough quality time with their children, she said.

"Many just get up every day and turn the television on ... They think that if they are giving their children breakfast, lunch and dinner they have met their needs."

Evelyn Taumaunu said the problem was a big one but the mentors were making inroads.

The project, launched in March last year, had been running in Auckland since December and was already showing positive results.

"The number-one thing was to get the parents away from the TV," Evelyn Taumaunu said. "Now they are going outside and playing and talking with their children."

She said lifestyles were hard to change, but "changes are being seen."

Many of the young parents knew no differently because of the way they had been raised, and in some cases the mentors were having to teach them to read and write.

Evelyn Taumaunu said some of the families were initially shy about opening up their homes, but they were more trusting of the mentors than of Government agencies.

The scheme was working because mentors were able to put in long hours with the families.

"They are as accessible for as long as it takes, and prepared to go the extra length.

"The parents respond because they see the patience, caring and support being offered."

Evelyn Taumaunu said some abuse had been averted through the mentors' contact with the families.

When the mentors saw evidence of domestic violence, they confronted the adults and called in the Maori wardens.

"In one case the wardens spoke to a male who didn't see what he was doing from any perspective other his own.

"He would complain things were not done and "boof' the wife."

Evelyn Taumaunu said the man had not touched his wife since the wardens became involved.

"Some men have even rung the wardens to warn them they were 'ready to beat her up again.' They trust the wardens, who are able to help."

Evelyn Taumaunu said the project was running in other parts of the country and would go national by the end of the year. It was able to make use of an extensive network of at least 3000 league members.

In Auckland, the 34 mentors were supported by other league members, which allowed them to "recharge" and maintain the demanding service.

Evelyn Taumaunu said the league had come up with the idea for a mentor project six years ago.

League president Jackie Te Kani said it had never before used its members to directly implement a project.

"This is a catalyst. It allows us to coordinate and utilise our senior membership, and use the wealth of skills held in our organisation."

The league begins its annual conference today in Mangere.