April 2016: “I have years of past work experiences and most have lead me to supporting whānau within Mental Health and the Social Services Sector.”

Kim explains what Whānau Ora means to her, by saying “I liken myself to working on the marae, the person that works tirelessly in the kitchen, and make sure the manuhiri are looked after to the best of my ability. These are the same principles I apply to my work place and work ethics.”

Kim feels fortunate to have had loving parents, who taught her and her two sisters what it means to value whānau and helped her understand the importance of respecting the wisdom and knowledge of her koroua and kuia.

This proud mother of four and grandmother of six moko sees her role as a mama to be one of her greatest accomplishments and has helped her understand how to help others.

“To me being a mother is the highest achievement that I’ve ever accomplished in my life. As a mother I have an important role, which is to create unity within my whānau. I have built strong relationships with my tamariki and mokopuna, I believe due to the love of my whānau, open communication, honesty, and being there for each other is the key to our whānau success and use these understandings to help me with my mahi.  My whānau and my beloved partner are my backbone, they give me hope, strength and love.”