Help Make Sleep Safer for At-risk Infants

If you wish to donate to our charity, please find our Organisation page here: https://givealittle.co.nz/org/te-puawaitanga-ki-otautahi-trust-safer-sleep

Sponsor a wahakura (flax sleeping basket) and give the gift of safer sleep to a pēpi (baby).

By sponsoring a wahakura, you can help Te Puawaitanga ki Ōtautahi Trust significantly improve the health and welfare outcomes for at-risk babies. Every dollar we receive in sponsorship goes towards providing safe sleeping pods to at-risk pēpi.

Studies show that pēpi who sleep in wahakura have twice the level of sustained breastfeeding compared to those sleeping in conventional bassinets. This makes for healthier babies and reduces the risk of them developing chronic diseases later in life. Use of wahakura also promotes bonding between mother and pēpi, a significant factor in the long-term mental health and resilience of children.

Wahakura have also been shown to offer much more than health and welfare benefits, with evidence suggesting that they can be a life-saving aid in certain situations.

In New Zealand each year 60 to 70 babies die suddenly when they sleep (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy, or SUDI), the worst rate in the Western world. Research indicates that many of these deaths can be prevented by replacing unsafe sleeping practices for at-risk pēpi with a wahakura.

Te Puawaitanga ki Ōtautahi Trust wahakura are made from flax harvested locally and woven by a group of specially trained weavers. They are provided free to whānau with a mattress, wrap and practical instructions for safe use. Wahakura sets cost $200 to make.

You can sponsor a wahakura on your own behalf or in someone else’s name. Sponsored wahakura can be provided to whānau with a message from you, if you wish, making this a truly personal gift.

Te Puawaitanga ki Ōtautahi Trust is an Inland Revenue approved donee organisation and your wahakura sponsorship satisfies their donations criteria, meaning you can apply for a tax credit for amounts of $5 or more “where the payment is voluntary and there is no identifiable direct benefit to you or your family in return for making the payment”.