Evaluation of ‘Wairoa Ake Ake’
“It was truly a blessing that this kaupapa was brought to our community.”
Project Background
Ihi Research undertook a kaupapa Māori evaluation of ‘Wairoa Ake Ake’, a language and cultural-awareness wānanga developed in Wairoa to engage Whānau Whero (the Mongrel Mob) and their whānau in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
Funded by Te Mātāwai and facilitated by Bronson Tither and Sarah Hutana-Te Aho, the kaupapa creates a safe, whānau-centred space for healing and reconnection - and the evaluation explores what enables gang whānau to engage in this work, and the impact it has on their lives.
‘Wairoa Ake Ake’ is a whānau-centred language and awareness wānanga, established inWairoa to engage Whānau Whero (the Mongrel Mob) and the wider community in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga. Developed by Bronson Tither and Sarah Hutana-Te Aho and funded by Te Mātāwai, it provides a collective space for whānau to heal through connection, self-awareness, and reconnection to te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori.
Ihi Research undertook a small, co-designed, exploratory kaupapa Māori study to better understand the enablers of engagement and the impact of the programme. Working alongside the two facilitators and interviewing participating whānau, the evaluation identified several interconnected themes: the importance of whānau learning together, authentic and trusted expertise, understanding trauma and intergenerational harm, and reconnection through te reo me ōna tikanga.Whānau described ‘Wairoa Ake Ake’ as engaging and transformative - fostering increased connection, confidence, and a desire to live a better life for themselves and their tamariki.
The findings are consistent with wider evidence on what is needed to engage gang whānau in trauma-informed, culturally grounded healing, and demonstrate the value of whānau-led, community-designed approaches to reducing gang harm.
Find out how we can help you
We’ll work with you to find out what’s working, where investment could be put to best use or how to improve anything not going to plan. We can help you define success and set tangible, measurable goals. And we talk in real language so you can understand and engage with the findings. We engage with the community to conduct community research and consultations for private companies, trusts, government agencies, NGOs and more. But we have a special interest in research that has a purpose - to better society and teach lessons. We aim to help those we work with build capacity to enact positive change.