Adele Hauwai

Ngāti-Kahungunu, Ngaī Tuhoe, Ngāti-Maniapoto, Ngāti-Pahauwera

Adele Hauwai is a mentor and facilitator who strongly focuses on supporting and contributing to mental health, well-being, and suicide prevention work.

Because of her epilepsy, she experienced learning difficulties and challenges, which inspired her to move into sign language services, where she supports opportunities to share sign language education for everyone through See Com.

In 2020, Adele did a TedX Ruakura talk called "Epilepsy Warrior", which raised awareness for epilepsy, mental health, traumatic brain injuries, brain surgery, and near-death experiences. In this talk, Adele described the impact epilepsy has had on her life as a child, an adult, and a mother. This experience was a "big goal" of hers that inspired her to start her "journey as a motivational speaker."

She is the CEO and Board Member for Te Tiakai Ora - Healing Innovation Hub. This Māori-led charity aims to promote holistic mental health and well-being through indigenous approaches that rethink mental health for better long-term outcomes. They offer an adventure-based indigenous therapy retreat that helps individuals face emotional issues, addictions, and other challenges. In 2022, they were the recipients of the Māori Community Suicide Prevention Fund, enabling them to deliver a retreat for whānau in Kirikiriroa.

She is also the CEO and Founder of Hauora Kainga, trading as GLOBE DOMES – a social enterprise designed to provide housing and job opportunities in the housing space with a creative therapy approach. Her organisation is working alongside Maori land shareholders to help utilise Maori land to house vulnerable families – even families involved in domestic violence & poverty traumas. This organisation has also expanded into Australia – GLOBE DOMES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD. Adele also took part in the Female Founders Forward Accelerator programme 2023.

Adele continues to lead Ataahua Art Hauora projects for whānau, as well as Indigenous Disability and Mental Health workshops across Aotearoa and Australia.

 

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Updated 11 November 2024

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