Kaua e rangiruatia te hā o te hoe;

e kore tō tātou waka e ū ki uta

Do not lift the paddle out of unison or our canoe will never reach the shore

Māori men do not appear to be over-represented in HIV statistics among gay and bisexual men in Aotearoa.  Even though Māori are not over represented, in the last ten years we have seen 148 Māori diagnosed with HIV.  This impacts not only the individual but also on their whānau. 

Once a year the NZAF hosts a National Hui for takatāpui and their whānau.  This is an opportunity to raise awareness around this kaupapa and gain support and ambassadors for our community. We need the support of all our whānau to ensure our kaupapa reaches wide and far.
     
We are also developing partnerships with Mana Whenua to strengthen our responsiveness to Māori.  Tikanga training is an integral part of the work of our Centres to ensure all of our services are appropriate to Tāngata Whenua.
 
In order for us to reach our goals we all need to be rowing in the same direction therefore we are committed to working with takatāpui and their whānau.
 
For more information on NZAF’s HIV prevention work with Māori, please contact Jordon Harris, Kaiārahi.