This year’s theme for our annual calendar and narratives is reflection. With this in mind we chose to use water throughout the entirety of this year’s calendar to portray how water is seen as an essential part of the mahi that we do here at Te Aroha Noa. Combining the theme of reflection and water came to fruition through conversations around what it meant to be reflective.
Water is used as a metaphor through out the annual calendar with the aspiration that we look at the work we do within our community. We have each created a piece of writing that truly depicts our interpretations of this year’s theme.
Water is a taonga of huge importance in many cultures. Water can be linked to identity, used for transport and gathering food. Water is believed to be the essence of all life as believed by Māori and a life-giving element. Like water, Te Aroha Noa also flows through community providing resources that can create essence for change and support within whānau lives. We believe that every whānau is valued and much like how water is seen as a taonga, our people too are taonga.
“Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini – My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective”
–Māori whakatauki