Taurite Tu, Balancing Tradition and Innovation

Capgemini’s collaboration with Taurite Tū, an inspiring initiative to address fall prevention among Māori elderly communities.

A revolutionary approach

Taurite Tū: A strength and balance exercise program for Māori

Taurite Tū is an innovative strength and balance exercise program tailored for Māori and their whānau aged 50+ years. The program emerged from the knowledge that typical falls prevention programmes were not engaging Māori, given Māori face unique challenges when recovering from fall related injuries – they experience higher mortality rates following serious falls compared to non-Māori. To bridge this gap, Te Rūnanga o Otākou, in partnership with Māori physiotherapists and Māori movement experts, created Taurite Tū—a safe and engaging exercise and wellness programme embedded in traditional Māori knowledge to empower older Māori to lead active and balanced lives.

Playing on the meaning of Taurite Tū

The name “Taurite Tū” carries a profound meaning that aligns perfectly with both the program’s purpose and the collaboration with our graduate cohort. “Taurite” signifies the balance of everything, while “Tū” translates to “to stand.” Together, they represent standing strong as the elements of wellbeing are balanced.

Our collaboration with Taurite Tū also symbolises standing strong with the graduate cohort as they embark on their careers, learning and growing alongside delivering exceptional outcomes for the customer. This dual interpretation underscores the significance of creating positive impacts for the communities we serve and the professionals we nurture.

Embracing technology for access

Capgemini’s Digital Solution: Expanding reach and impact

Recognising the need for technology-driven solutions, Capgemini stepped in to support Taurite Tū by developing an online platform. As the COVID-19 pandemic restricted in-person gatherings, our digital solution enabled Māori elders to access exercise programs and connect with their community remotely. This expansion of reach has been pivotal in achieving Taurite Tū’s vision of improving the health outcomes for kaumātua Māori.

Our collaboration has yielded remarkable results. Taurite Tū has secured funding from ACC and WellSouth (the Primary Health Network for the Southern locality), empowering a total of twenty-two Māori organisations to deliver the program nationwide. We at Capgemini are immensely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this community project, supporting Taurite Tū and its mission pro bono.

Collaboration and commendation

A digital gateway to empowerment

The accessibility and intuitive design of Taurite Tū’s online platform has been a hit among users. Here are some fantastic comments and feedback we received:

“Online wasn’t as hard or as daunting as we expected. We had a few focus groups explaining access and logins and then setting up individual devices, we have managed to get almost everyone accessing exercises outside of class.”

“The website is so easy to use, I have been showing my whānau movements at home to help strengthen their bodies.”

“The website is easy to navigate. I was a little nervous at first as I am not very technological, but when Katrina showed me, I realized how easy it was to find things. I just have to trust myself.”

A tapestry of collaboration and praise

The outcomes achieved through the Taurite Tū program celebrate the magic of collaboration. Katrina Bryant, the dedicated liaison at Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Associate Dean Māori at the University of Otago, comments, “The staff at Capgemini have been absolutely amazing to work with and have provided insightful advice to ensure Taurite Tū is accessible to our kaumātua Māori. Aspects such as using larger, simplistic font and keeping things clear and simplistic means kaumātua are able to navigate the website with confidence so they can continue to do their exercises at home. Not only this, the instruction manual for kaimahi to use is also extremely clear to follow instructions, which is great for those of us who are more hands on and not used to working on computers.

The simplicity of the website was vital during the COVID-19 lockdowns when kaumātua were unable to attend classes. Having access to online communities was essential for their wellbeing, and being able to navigate a simplistic site without much assistance was so much appreciated. Capgemini has provided a blueprint for accessible websites and Taurite Tū looks forward to working with them further to make more information available to our kaumātua. Thank you so much Capgemini for your support of this kaupapa.”

Join the movement, make an impact

Supporting Taurite Tū: Uplifting Māori health and wellbeing

We invite you to join us in supporting Taurite Tū and their mission to uplift the health and well-being of Māori communities. Together, we can empower individuals, strengthen families, and create a positive, lasting impact. Kia rite, karawhuia! Get ready to give it a go!

To learn more about Taurite Tū, visit their website and discover how you can be a part of this transformative journey towards healthier lives for kaumātua Māori: https://www.tauritetu.co.nz/