Lay summary
Young Maori mothers and their pepi flourish when they are: connected to te Ao Maori; nurtured by significant Maori women; and are able to access matauranga Maori that acknowledges and empowers their mana as wahine Maori. Well-being for mama and their pepi/tamariki is optimised in settings that are congruent with their cultural identity. However, the vast majority of perinatal care services fragment ""care"", treat according to a clinical discipline (fertility, reproduction, child health) and regard mums and babies as discrete and separate entities. This project has two aims: to support the ongoing development of an emerging health researcher and to pilot and assess the effectiveness of a culturally grounded model of wellbeing (Mama e Mamia) for Mama Maori and their pepi/tamariki. The model, Mama e Mamia, will be piloted as a marae-based service, and a kaupapa Maori realist design will be employed to assess effectiveness.
This grant was awarded to Whakauae Research Services but was later transfered to Taku Mamia Trust.