Waipareira Hosts International Delegation

Te Whanau O Waipareira will host Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and a high level delegation team of Government Ministers on Friday.

Mr O’Neill, his Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato, Sport Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Agriculture Minister Tommy Tonscol, Governor, Southern Highlands William Powi, Governor Western Province Ati Wobirom, Member for Sohe Delilah Gore, Chief Secretary to the PNG Government Sir Manasupe Zurenouc and the Papua New Guinea High Commissioner to New Zealand William Dihm, will visit the heart of Waipareira, Whanau Centre.

They will be welcomed to the west before taking a tour of how Waipareira’s integrated health, education, justice and social services operates.

Waipareira CEO John Tamihere said Waipareira is privileged to host the overseas guests.

“Hosting the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea in itself is an honour, but to also have such a high level delegation is very humbling for the Te Whanau O Waipareira organisation,” John said.

“But in saying that, the visitors from Papua New Guinea are not just here to fill time before catching their flight home. We’ll be showing the Prime Minister what we are doing to raise the aspirations of our whanau.

“The indigenous peoples in PNG are facing similar challenges and hopefully this is the first step in an on-going partnership between Whanau Waipareira and Papua New Guinea.”

The visit to Whanau Centre will be the last stop for the 30 strong team from Papua New Guinea.

Te Whanau O Waipareira already has relationships with the Atlanta-based Families First, Canada’s Cree Nations and the Cherokee Nation in North America.

Whanau Tahi – Waipareira’s Technology unit – has links to the Los Angeles City Council, and Memorandum of Understandings with global giants Microsoft and Medtech International.

ENDS

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