Supporting state care survivors through holistic whare tapu workshops.
Our wānanga (gatherings) are created to empower survivors by offering knowledge, practical tools, and a strong sense of community.
These spaces are more than just events—they are safe places where survivors can heal, find support, and connect with others who understand their journey.
We are committed to upholding wairuatanga (spiritual well-being), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), aroha (compassion), and whanaungatanga (meaningful relationships). Guided by these values, we create an environment where every person is valued, supported, and encouraged on their path to well-being.
Empowering Change
Discover how NZCAST supports survivors of state care through transformative wānanga that
uplift, connect, and empower.
Healing Through Connection
Each wānanga brings survivors together to share their experiences, build supportive relationships, and explore pathways toward healing and wellbeing.
Join us on a journey of healing, connection, and growth.
Our gatherings are designed and led by survivors, weaving in cultural perspectives and practices that resonate with our communities and create a safe, respectful environment for healing.
We understand the challenges survivors face because we’ve lived them too — from toxic relationships to substance use and other barriers that can stand in the way of personal growth.
We know how to reach survivors of abuse, and they trust us to walk alongside them as they grieve, heal, and take the lead in redesigning their own lives.
As survivors ourselves, we draw on our lived experience of state care and our strong connections to marae and communities across Aotearoa.
Our facilitators are deeply rooted in the communities we serve, ensuring we remain visible, accessible, and connected to the people who need us most.
When we say we speak the “language of survivors,” we’re not talking about te reo Māori — we mean that we understand trauma, pain, anger, and the feeling of being let down or discriminated against.
We understand these experiences because many of us have lived them.
Many of our success stories include survivors who have left abusive relationships, overcome addiction, and begun new, positive chapters in their lives.
What to expect at wānanga
We offer workshops on personal development, life skills, and resilience that focus on building individual strengths.
Participants are supported to develop practical skills that help them grow and move toward
self-empowerment.
We offer workshops on communication skills that equip participants with the tools to express their needs and experiences more effectively and advocate for themselves in a positive way.
We offer aftercare workshops that use Te Rākau o te Ora “Tree of Life” to guide survivors through their ongoing healing journey.
These workshops highlight the importance of growing mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing over time.
Upcoming Events
Rotorua WharetapuFri, 27 FebWhakarewarewa School Marae