09 Dec Meet Renei Ngawati

Tēnā koutou katoa ngā kaiwhakaora e te iwi Māori! 

Ko Renei Ngawati tōku ingoa. He uri no Ngāti Hine me Ngāti Porou. Just popping in to mihi to everyone as a new team member to Toi Tangata. Exciting! I’m super stoked to be part of the team and work for an organisation that I have always admired. 

I have come from a health promotion and Māori development background as a former lecturer in Māori Health at AUT University. I started off as a research assistant at AUT and stayed in tertiary academic mahi before taking a couple of years off being a stay at home māmā. Health promotion is in the blood because Mum and Dad worked in sport, health and education our whole lives. Living it and working in it have been our blessings as a whanau. 

I have four tamariki, one big now adult son (aue!) and three small tamariki. Busy busy busy!

So being given an opportunity to be out in the community, still have a part in academic and research space, and working in an organisation that focuses on kai, korikori, hākinakina and the mauriora o ngai Māori..I get to thrive as a māmā and as me. 

Ki nga mana whakahaere o Toi Tangata, tenei te mihi ki a koutou katoa. 

Nga mihi ngā manukura o te hapori. 

Mauri ora ki a tatou katoa. Karawhiua!