Source: Ki tua o Matariki
A new nationwide campaign is inviting whānau to share their experiences of the support-or lack of support-around them following the arrival of their pēpi (baby).
The village we needed when pēpi arrived is a research and advocacy collaboration between lived-experience Māori maternal mental health rōpū Hine ki te Wheiao and Māori research group Wāhi Kōrero.
Kairangahau Hauora Māori, Felicity Ware (Ngāpuhi), says the campaign aims to gather hundreds of diverse, anonymous stories from māmā, pāpā, kaumātua, aunties, uncles and others across the pā harakeke (family unit). “We can see that the village around young families in Aotearoa is changing, and we know from our maternal mental health statistics that many māmā are struggling. While its well established how incredibly protective social support can be in those early years, we know much less about the realities of that day to day support for whānau today. Our campaign is asking what do the people and places around whānau actually look like when pēpi arrive and was it what they need?”
The campaign comes at a time when suicide continues to be a leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa, against a backdrop of housing and cost-of-living pressures that are placing increasing strain on whānau with young pēpi. The Ministry of Social Development’s latest Child Poverty Report 2026 shows that poverty is falling heaviest on tamariki Māori. One in four-or around 77,000-tamariki Māori are growing up in whānau that cannot afford basic essentials, up from around 19 percent five years ago. Among all tamariki living in private rentals, 40 percent are unable to afford the basics, even after receiving government assistance.
Lizzie Strickett, Hine ki te Wheiao, says she is excited about the possibility of whānau lived experience contributing to systems change: “Whānau have huge aspirations for themselves and their tamariki. They know what strong support could look like within their own whānau and communities, and we think there is no better time than now where decisions are being made about the future of health, housing and social support in our country, to listen and act on the solutions they are offering us”.
Stories can be shared anonymously through Wāhi Kōrero and may reflect positive, difficult or mixed experiences. Whānau do not need to have experienced postnatal depression or accessed mental health services to take part. The stories will help build a clearer picture of what whānau need during the first 2,000 days of a child’s life. Findings will be used to inform advocacy in whānau-centred policy, services and investment across health, housing and social services.
Whānau can share their story anonymously at https://wahikorero.co.nz/projects/the-village-we-needed-when-pepi-arrived/