Waipuna supports tamariki in schools

Mana Ake, meaning ‘Stronger for Tomorrow’, is a Canterbury initiative that places trained wellbeing workers directly into primary schools. Waipuna Youth Services is one of 13 partner NGOs delivering the programme across 26 school clusters throughout the region.

The programme responds to what teachers see every day: tamariki who are carrying experiences of trauma, anxiety, grief, or difficult home circumstances that affect their ability to learn and connect. Mana Ake kaimahi work alongside schools to provide the right support, for the right people, at the right time.

Waipuna kaimahi and kaiārahi bring a youth work and social service background to this mahi. They build close relationships with schools, co-design intervention plans, and connect tamariki and whānau with the wider network of services they need. The focus is not just on the child but on the whole family system around them.

An independent social impact assessment by Impact Lab found that Mana Ake delivers significant measurable value for tamariki and their communities. The programme supports emotional regulation, social connection, and long-term wellbeing, addressing needs that, without intervention, can lead to serious and costly consequences for young people and society.

For Waipuna, Mana Ake sits at the heart of our Health and Wellbeing kaupapa: meeting young people where they are, building relationships that matter, and supporting the conditions where rangatahi can thrive.