11 Jan 2021

Riwa Wawatai - weaving to save lives

From Summer Times, 11:30 am on 11 January 2021

Riwa Wawatai is an artist who's helping save babies lives. 

While she was studying the art of raranga, Māori weaving, she learnt how to make baskets - wahakura - that allow babies to sleep safely in the beds of their caregivers. 

She then had the plan to adapt what she'd learnt, and teach others how to make the wahakura. 

Riwa has since created a group of weavers in Hawke's Bay making wahakura to be donated to whanau there, and plans to extend the scheme. 

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Photo: supplied