Kaupapa whakahaere
Toitū te Ao is a kaupapa Māori driven organisation. This means led by Māori living with HIV, for Māori living with HIV.
Our approach is centred on hauora (overall wellbeing) and support in a way that uplifts the mana of every person we serve.
Through our initiatives and activities, we aim to support Māori, Pasifika, and Indigenous peoples affected by HIV, creating pathways to health, understanding, and empowerment.
Nau mai, haere mai –
everyone is welcome here.
What’s on this page:
Ko wai ake nei?
Who are we?
Our mission is to whakamana Māori living with and affected by HIV by promoting mātauranga, enhancing awareness, and reducing stigma through a kaupapa Māori approach. We are committed to fostering whānau ora and holistic well-being, ensuring that all whānau are supported in a way that upholds mana, strengthens connections, and embraces te ao Māori.
While our focus is on Māori and Indigenous communities, our doors are always open to anyone seeking support. We offer support, advocacy, and a safe space for anyone affected by HIV, including whānau.
Read more about us in our current strategic plan.
Tāhuhu kōrero
Background
HIV was first detected in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1984. Since records began, there have been 345 reported cases of Māori people diagnosed with HIV (AIDS Epidemiology Group, 2024). Learn more about what HIV is, how it is managed and how it can be passed on here. here
Toitū Te Ao was founded in 2020 in response to the absence of a dedicated organisation within the sector that upholds a kaupapa Māori lens, ensuring Māori and their whānau living with HIV are supported through a Māori worldview.
The holistic well-being of our people — wairua, tinana, hinengaro, and whatumanawa — is not being fully supported in today’s society. We continue to face inequities and microaggressions driven by stigma, while our voices as Māori and other Indigenous peoples are too often unheard in the spaces that shape our lives.
Haere mai ki te tūtaki i a mātou
Meet the Team
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Ko Puketapu me Te Haokitahi ōku maungaKo Ngati Maru me Ngati Koura ōku hapuKo Rongowhakaata me Ngai Tuhoe ōku iwiNo te Tairawhiti ahau e noho ana.Tihei mauri ora!Bought up around the skirts of my kuia I was nurtured to embrace the wholeness of their wisdom and teachings of what it means, to be Māori in its purest core. Armed with that knowledge and understanding I embarked on a journey of self-discovery positioning myself in a place of knowing. Attaining my Bachelors in Bi-cultural social work enables me to advocate and support my people. With a background in teaching and a future in attaining my postgraduate in professional supervision enables me to stand confidently in the pakeha world, with a firm Maori world view.
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Tena Koutou, ko Christine Kokiri ahau
Ko Te Aitanga a Mahaki, me Ngai Tuhoe aku iwi.
No reira tena hoki koutou katoa.
As part of operations of Toitu te Ao, I have a deep commitment to our core values of aroha manaakitanga, tiakitanga and whanaungatanga. I strive to help provide the understanding that is needed for Māori living with HIV and their whanau, through education research and advocacy.
Implementing and maintaining essential systems and processes, including but not limited to Microsoft programs, emails, Teams, Zoom and Xero has also been part of my role at Toitu te Ao. Assisting in the building and managing of our website and other foundational structures within Toitu te Ao.
Within Toitu te Ao I collaborate with our external stakeholders and allies to ensure that we align to our Strategic plan and uphold our kaupapa supporting our mission to provide a culturally appropriate mana enhancing care to our people.
On a personal note, I cherish spending quality time with whanau and friends, enjoying good international period pieces, and sharing laughter. I’m dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of my whanau and those we serve at Toitū te Ao, standing undisturbed in our world.
Our Board Members
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Te Arawa, Tainui, Takitumu, Te Au O Tonga, Ngapuariki. He Takatāpui. He ‘Akava’ine.
Geoff is of NZ Māori, Cook Islands Māori, European, and Chinese heritage. He has lived with HIV for 33 years and credits his sustained wellbeing in part to the strength and support of his whānau. His lived experience has shaped a lifelong commitment to advocacy, especially in challenging stigma and discrimination faced by Tāngata Takatāpui and people living with HIV.
For a decade, Geoff served as a health promoter with the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (now the Burnett Foundation), contributing to the Hauora Takatāpui programme and supporting community-led health initiatives. He became the first—and remains the only—Cook Islander to speak publicly about living with HIV in the Cook Islands and New Zealand, a milestone that continues to inspire others both locally and abroad.
In 2013, Geoff completed a Bachelor of Nursing at Wintec, Hamilton, and went on to work as a registered nurse across a wide range of settings, including the Department of Corrections, mental health and addiction services, community nursing, kaupapa Māori health services, and general practice. His professional journey reflects a deep commitment to equitable care and culturally grounded practice.
Beyond his clinical work, Geoff is an active member of several Rainbow networks, the Positive Speakers Bureau of NZ, and presently serves as secretary for Toitū te Ao. He is currently based in Rarotonga, taking a break from nursing, reconnecting with his father’s people and continuing his advocacy, community engagement, and cultural restoration.
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Kia Ora e te whanau,
Ko Moana Waikato toku ingoa.
I am a young Māori wahine, with connecting roots to Kaeo, Northland, Taranaki, and Gisborne, but born and bred in the heart of South Auckland. I carry a deep passion for serving and uplifting our people. I believe in the strength that comes from manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, aroha, and kotahitanga. My work is guided by a strong sense of kaupapa and a genuine desire to see our communities thrive with dignity, understanding, and a hope for their future. I value creating a positive, safe, supportive space where whānau feel seen, heard, and empowered to live well.
Outside of my mahi, I love to travel—whether exploring the beauty of Aotearoa or venturing further into the wider world. I am drawn to nature and enjoy getting outdoors, discovering new places, and embracing experiences that challenge me to grow. Spontaneous by nature and adventurous at heart, I’m always willing to rise to the challenge and step onto the plank when an opportunity calls.
Ngā whakahaere
Our network of allies
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A kaupapa Māori HIV support, advocacy and health promotion organisation has been missing for a long time in Aotearoa. It has been incredibly significant to have Milly and the Toitu te Ao team fill this huge need and to watch the progression of the organisation from its fledgling start to now being the most significant voice for Māori in the HIV sector. This has largely been due to the leadership of Milly Stewart, who as the Pou Tāhuhu of Toitu te Ao, has ensured the organisations position in the community.
Positive Women Inc has worked in collaboration with Toitu te Ao on a number of projects over the past 2 years. For me personally and for Positive Women Inc, it has been a powerful and enriching learning process and a testament to how working in partnership with Māori results in programmes, services and resources grounded in Māori tikanga, ultimately work for everyone.
Kia kaha Toitu te Ao. We look forward to further building on our relationship and know you will do great things for Māori living with HIV in Aotearoa.
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The vision of Body Positive New Zealand / Tinana Ora Incorporated shall be: “All people living with HIV and AIDS are enabled to live fully productive lives, free from stigma and discrimination.”. We stand alongside Toitu Te Ao in achieving this vision.
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Burnett Foundation Aotearoa and Toitū te Ao are united in our aspiration for better health outcomes for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand’s HIV response.
Our collaboration has advanced testing services, research, and efforts against HIV stigma, demonstrating our mutual commitment to health equity. Our work together exemplifies our shared dedication, reinforcing the importance of supporting each other to achieve a greater impact in the communities we serve.
Toitū te Tangata
Toitū te Whenua
Toitū te Ao
We stand undisturbed as a people,
we stand undisturbed on our land,
we stand undisturbed in this world.
