MAURI ORA TO 417 ORA
Every business has a story of how it started and more importantly why. Nau mai, haere mai, this is that story. It has been a journey that has been a long time in making but it’s here today to help whānau around the world, and we couldn’t be prouder to share it with you all. We have strong aroha in our mind, body and soul about how Rongoā Māori can improve your quality of life.
Meet our creators and the ladies behind the magic.
Kiaora! Tena Koutou katoa.
Ko wai au?
“E rere kau mai te Awa nui i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa
Ko au te Awa Ko te Awa ko au.”
I te taha maamaa.
Ko Maungatapu te Maunga
Ko Maitahi te Awa
Ko Aorere te Moana
Ko Marahau te whenua
I te taha papa,
Ko Cyril Martin raua ko Herenora Martin (nee Ratana) ōku Matua.
Ko Joeline Ratana toku Ingoa.
Born + raised in Tokomairaro (Milton) still living here with my whānau, my tane Mark and our four children and two moko, but Whaea / Nanny + Koro to all our nieces and nephews whānau.
I was fortunate to grow up with rongoā, my māmā had a remedy for this mamae and that mamae, making poultices for boils,(haki) she used to call them, some hot oil remedy for earache, sadly, I didn’t pay attention to how or what she was doing and by the time I grew up and wanted to learn, it was too late, my māmā suffered a stroke, and if it wasn’t for my two sisters and myself and the power of karakia and mirimiri we would have lost our mum that day, we gave up our lives for just over two years to care for her and that’s where my love started with rongoā.
I learnt the beautiful art of mirimiri from a Tino Ataahua wāhine, Te Aomihia Rangihuna who hails from Te Puia Springs on the East Coast but now resides in Ōtepoti and has a booming business named KOHA hands, from working alongside her I started making balms to coincide with that Mahi and I will be forever grateful we crossed paths.
I love having a tutu with harakeke, and love watching my moko be born, even more so when they are born at our home, all of this is rongoā, teaching our tamariki and moko how to gather kai, whether it’s from Tangaroa or out in the Ngahere, how to harvest rau, always following correct tikanga, the love I have for our kaupapa really kicked off when Covid hit, learning from the absolute best and still continuing to learn every day.
I am truly humbled and blessed by the life I have been given and thank my Tupuna for who I am today.
Māuri Ora
Jolz
Kiaora te whanau
Ko Maunga Atua te Maunga
Ko Tokomairaro te Awa
Ko Tokowaha te Moana
Ko Jillian Waitere Ahau
Mum of 3 and two Mokopuna, Married to Tutemahurangi for 25 years. Wool handler for 28 years. I love working with whānau and walking alongside them on their journeys, helping and advising wherever I can.
My Rongoā journey started about ten years ago when I was surrounded by so many people in pain, and I wanted to help them. I started studying Plants and which ones could help with pain and inflammation, from my learning I started making a variety of pain balms and capsules. Immediately the feedback I received was overwhelming and I knew I was on the right track, all Rongoā was given on the pro that I receive feedback about their experiences. I gave it away for research purposes for 7 Years.
I spent a lot of time surrounding myself with people who had the same passions me, my kare and I have been on the journey together for the last 5 years, and we attended a lot of wananga with the best Rongoā Practitioners in NZ has to offer, have done a lot of work to gain as much matauranga as we could to come back home and share what we have learned.
Then covid hit! We both become unemployed and had to think outside the box. We decided to start making Rongoā full time and we wanted to share with the world our learnings and the passion we have for Rongoā Māori. This journey has been a complete lifestyle change that has taken us places I never dreamed of, sitting with people who are the most experienced in this field has been an honour and humbling experience so far. We are forever learning on this journey and always will be. Rongoā is a way of life. “At some point on our journey, we must become the Rongoā”
