Kete Menemene
Improve Maori and Pasifika communities in equitable access to dental care.
The Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDS) would like to improve their engagement with tamariki (children) and their whānau (family). Two out of five tamariki who visit the dentist have tooth decay, which is a leading cause of preventable hospital stays in Aotearoa. This project explored the opportunity to support ARDS to become more welcoming and encourage tamariki and their whanau to care for their dental health. Kete Menemene is a resource for tamariki and their whanau to take ownership of their wellbeing. Kinesthetic learning helps to remove barriers for illiterate and atypical tamariki. There are two decks of cards to play three games. Each game caters to a different age range. Kete Menemene is for the community at schools, libraries, and extracurricular groups. Aimed towards the whole whanau, older tamariki can teach younger ones how to play the games.