With the support of Māori language and digital experts, the ihi app has been developed by a group of nurses and doctors as part of their passion to improve cultural confidence about te ao Māori concepts. In English ihi translates to inspiration.
ProCare is the largest cooperative of family doctors (GPs), nurses and general practice teams in Aotearoa New Zealand. They provide community-based health care to more than 800,000 people across the Auckland region well as the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Gabrielle Lord, nursing director at ProCare, says ihi was launched two years ago as part of the organisation’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and as a way of helping general practices to increase their engagement in te ao Māori.
“ihi makes the crucial link between language and culture, with content covering te reo Māori pronunciation, tikanga Māori, mihimihi/pepeha (introductions), ngā mihi (greetings), whakataukī (proverbs) and waiata (songs).
“The app is really simple to use, swipe over the words to listen to the pronunciation. This allows you to practice in your own way, and gives you confidence in using te reo in your daily mahi (work),” Lord says.
“Using the app enables clinical staff to lead by example, and to contribute to positive engagement between health practitioners and whānau, thereby improving health outcomes for Māori.”
Some features in the app include:
- Health-related phrases including for the body.
- Synchronised narration in te reo Māori and English.
- Swipe to read or touch to hear.
- Record your own narration.
- Create your own pepeha.
- Export pages, images and audio to colleagues, friends or social media.
- Quiz to test your knowledge.
