Meet our kaimahi
Lora Waqabitu | Community Engagement and Education Advisor
Lora has joined us as our new Community Engagement Advisor and will work on building relationships with community providers.
Before joining Safekids, Lora was a Youth Programmes Specialist, where she worked closely with young women in high schools and their communities. She was also selected as a delegate of "Young Pacific Leaders 2019" where she represented Fiji and Aotearoa.
Currently she is the President of the West Auckland PACIFICA Branch, which helps serve Pacific women, their families and our communities.
"The work we do is always to benefit the communities and families we serve, and that is the whole of Aotearoa. It is based on facts and data presented in a way that connects with all people. I feel so blessed to be able to be part of a team that works to create change in unintentional injuries especially for our most vulnerable communities." “Ko ira na luveda era i yau tale ena noda tikotiko.” – Our children are the most precious in our community.
Mareta Hunt | Poutokomanwa - Director
Ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te ao. The child is at the heart of all that we do. Mareta is of Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahungunu me Kai Tahu and brings a strong Māori influence and perspective to the Safekids Aotearoa and the injury prevention sector. Her experience is in child health advocacy, community and digital engagement and she enjoys challenging and disrupting systems to actualise Te Tiriti and equity focused outcomes.
Mareta has networks across both Māori and Pasifika communities – both personal and professional. She says she feels privileged to be working with such a dynamic, passionate and committed team who are equally passionate in driving change in the injury prevention sector to improve outcomes for tamariki in New Zealand. Mareta says the key to her motivation in life are "whakapono, her four beautiful tamahine, her hoa rangatira tāne - I strive to be the best that I can be living out the values of my faith, reo and Māoritanga.”
E: MaretaH@adhb.govt.nz
P: +64 21 208 2606
Naadira Hassen de Medeiros | Senior Policy Analyst
Naadira initially joined the Safekids Aotearoa team as a Policy Analyst for a short time in 2020 and was excited to re-join the team as Senior Policy Analyst in 2022. She holds a Master of Public Health degree and has previously held positions within health research, family violence prevention and advocacy around cardiovascular disease prevention in the community.
Naadira was born in South Africa and traces her lineage back to Zimbabwe, India and Germany too. She has two young children that keep her busy, entertained and fill her with love and happiness – they are her light and inspiration for her role.
Nathaniel Alexander-Pua | Digital Content Producer
Nat has worked with us for a while but has recently joined the main team as a Digital Content Creator. Prior to joining Safekids, Nat worked for a Pacific Island Sexual Health Education organisation for 11 years working in schools, churches and private training establishments using drama and music to promote messages of wellbeing. He went on to work as a Primary School Teacher for seven years in South Auckland before joining Safekids to make digital content. He's always worked as a musician on the weekends and evenings as well as running a couple of YouTube channels with his family.
"I love that I am able to be creative and use my experience for the safety of our tamariki and families. I love that Safekids is genuinely family-centred and values-based. They continue to do amazing work with whānau and I'm privileged to be a part of the team."
Oceania Martin | Digital Coordinator, Assistant Producer
Ngāi Tuhoe, Ngāti Porou, me Ngāti Manawa.
Oceania has joined us as a Digital Coordinator and Assistant Producer, in which her role consists of bringing her VFX knowledge into our production, and post production pipeline.
Born and raised in Kawerau, Bay of Plenty, Oceania has lived in Tāmaki Makaurau for 3 years.
Prior to joining, Oceania studied 3D Animation and VFX at Media Design School.
Te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga nōna te ao.
The bird who partakes of the miro berry owns the forest; the bird who partakes of education owns the world.
Rianna Leota | Programmes Coordinator
Rianna is of Samoan descent with roots in the villages Satoalepa'i, Avao, Fale'ula, and Mata'utu. She has joined Safekids as a Programmes Coordinator, in which her role consists of coordinating the programmes and services we deliver to our community partners.
Prior to joining, she studied Health Sciences and Science at the University of Auckland
"It's amazing being in a space that is challenging the system as we know it to do better for our tamariki.
'O au matua fanau' - Children are the precious offspring of parents.
Sienna Stuijt | Digital Executive
Sienna is the Digital Executive here at Safekids, with key aspects of her role including coordinating and creating digital media for Safekids and website and communications support for Starship.
Prior to joining Safekids, Sienna studied Commerce and Science at the University of Auckland, and has also worked for the Hastings District Council.
"I am incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing team for such an important organisation. I am incredibly passionate about health and wellbeing and am excited to be working to support the community, whānau and Aotearoa’s precious tamariki."
Tiahomai Henare-Heke | Whatukura - Strategic Mātauranga Māori Advisor
Ngapuhi, Ngati Rangiwewehi, Waikato/Tainui, Rereahu
To encourage and support tamariki and their whānau, to connect to their cultural identity so that they can become catalyst of positive change within their whānau, hapū, iwi and their community.
Tiahomai has extensive experience in engaging and educating rangatahi Māori, through his work as a tutor and facilitator for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Awanuiārangi and Te Whare Tu Taua o Aotearoa. He has also worked as a cultural advisor for the Link Alliance, Auckland Council and provided educational services to Māori through Serco Limited. His fluency in Te Reo Māori me ona Tikanga and his proficiency in Matauranga Māori in relation to ngā atua Māori, Taiao and Whakapapa has also led to initiatives to address climate and systems change.