Ko Waikirikiri te marae
Ko Hamua te hapū
Ko Parekohe te pae maunga
Ko Ohinenaenae te wai kaukau
Ko Ruatoki te wharua.

Raised in the beautiful valley of Ruatoki in the heart of Te Urewera, Maraea loves to push boundaries to create better outcomes for whānau and communities in their own styles. Rooted in tikanga and Mātauranga Māori, Maraea uses design tools to activate spaces and create sustainable change.

For more than 10 years Maraea has been part of the SKIP (Strategies with Kids, Information for Parents) whānau. Now as Manager Voices of Whānau and Community at Oranga Tamariki, Maraea works alongside a small team of community developers and whānau-centred designers supporting Tākai, the evolution of SKIP which was co-created with hundreds of whānau supporters.

Through raumei, hononga, ako and pūtea for initiatives supporting whānau of tamariki under-five, Tākai works towards the vision of kia matua rautia – a thriving village raising children together. www.tākai.nz