Local Hauora Heroes: Levi & Dana Armstrong
Levi & Dana Armstrong
Levi & Dana Armstrong are a couple on a mission to improve health outcomes for their community. They live in Napier, raising their four tamariki alongside their mahi in the health and education sector, from the grassroots to academia. They have been in the hauora space for over 20 years and recently both graduated with a Master’s in Health Science, with Distinction. Together they head up the MEKE Foundation, working with rangatahi and pakeke to help them stay motivated, educated and moving their tinana.
Ko wai kōrua?
Ko Kahuranaki te maunga, ko Poukawa te awa, ko Kahuranaki te marae, ko Takitimu te waka, ko Te Rangikoianake te hapū, ko Ngāti Kahungunu te iwi, nō Heretaunga ahau. Ko Levi Armstrong ahau.
Ko Puketoi te maunga, ko Owahanga te awa, ko Pāpāumā te marae, ko Takitimu te waka, ko Te Hika a Pāpāumā te hapū, ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki tamaki nui a rua te iwi, nō Waipukurau ahau, Ko Dana Armstrong ahau.
What is the MEKE Foundation about? What inspired you to start this kaupapa?
We established the Meke Foundation to improve and support the health, wellbeing and quality of life of rangatahi and whānau in Hawke’s Bay. Enhancing and supporting the overall health and wellbeing of whānau and individuals requires a multi-faceted, whānau ora approach which includes mental, physical and social well-being. This includes delivery of health interventions for rangatahi, whānau and communities in need.
The Meke Foundation provides educational opportunities for rangatahi who are not engaged in education and employment, as well as whānau from highly deprived communities. We are also conducting research and increasing capability throughout the education and health sector by sharing our findings and information to help create strategies and solutions.
You can read more about our research here.
What is your favourite thing about your mahi? What keeps you going?
We love the fact that our rangatahi and whānau want change. Witnessing rangatahi turn up to kura every day is a win. Observing a Māmā turn up to the POD every day, and losing 10kg is a win. Seeing a father stay out of jail and get into mahi is a win. Our people getting those little wins keeps us going. Knowing they are achieving and improving and wanting to get better every day keeps us going. If Māori are winning, Aotearoa is winning. THATSUS!!
What does Hauora mean to you?
Health, fitness and education has shaped who we are as a Māori whānau growing up in Hawkes Bay. We enjoy participating in many sports and love the gym. Following a career path into health and fitness has allowed us to provide for our whanau and lay a strong foundation. Identifying problems and creating solutions for our people has been a huge drive for us. We are so proud of the variety of kaupapa we’ve established to help whānau with a range of hauora needs. We aim to be innovative and eliminate barriers for whānau to participate in hauora. We believe that to empower our whānau to live a healthy and prosperous life we must first lead by example.
In your opinion, what are the biggest hauora challenges whānau Māori are facing in the wider Hawke’s Bay area? What do we need to do to improve this?
Accessibility, Affordability and Achievability are common barriers that our communities face in Te Matau a Māui. From an exercise and fitness perspective, eliminating or reducing costs for travel and gym memberships can have a significant impact on our whānau wanting to participate in activities. Growing a Māori workforce is essential and encouraging our whānau to pursue careers in the health sector can ensure that services are driven by Māori, for Māori and utilise Te Ao Māori.
If you could change one thing for the well-being of whānau Māori in our rohe, what would it be?
Exercise should be FREE! We suffer from many health inequities and mental health is a key contributor. Participation in fitness and exercise can lead to positive mental health outcomes for whanau and communities. If we can have exercise on the doorsteps of our communities, if we can make exercise fun and achievable, if we can make it FREE for our people, we can impact the lives of many - especially our hard-to-reach whānau.
What does tino rangatiratanga mean to you in relation to health and wellbeing?
We understand the health issues and problems that we face as Māori, but we can also create solutions to these problems. Developing and implementing solutions for our marae, hapū and iwi is self-determination, taking control of our destiny and empowering our own to succeed.
What is your favourite whakataukī relating to health and wellness and why?
He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. We are in the health and education sector to Motivate, to Engage, to Konnect and to Empower our people, our people, our people.
