He Kāpehu Whetū seeks to shine a light on suicide prevention community initiatives doing great work to support people and provide important connections.   

No single person, whānau, friend, organisation or agency can reduce suicide rates alone, but every person can make a difference. Support often starts with whānau and friends. The networks and groups we belong to such as marae, sport and recreation clubs, arts groups, playcentres, churches and peer support groups, play a vital role in helping us find a positive path through challenging times. These social connections are a key protective factor for the wellbeing of communities.

Grass-roots approaches to identifying needs is vital to understanding the reality of people’s lives and being able to support their wellbeing needs. Supporting community-led approaches means applying bottom-up decision making and building on the social capital of communities.

This site is funded by the Suicide Prevention Office at the Ministry of Health

Te Kāpehu Whetū

Te Kāpehu Whetū translates to a Māori star compass.

Much like the stars used for traditional navigation, these community stories provide examples of how to build whānau resilience and support suicide prevention. They represent a source of navigation and show us no matter where we are in life, and no matter how dark the night might feel, there are always stars to guide us.