About Us
Our kaupapa, our purpose is to provide a place for people to learn about the art and science of traditional healing practices through an authentic rongoā Māori lens. In their own time, at their own pace from anywhere on the planet that they can access the internet. All of our programs are presented by people who have ancestral connections to the knowledge and who have personally practiced these arts for decades.
"Kia ora I'm Donna Kerridge founder and owner of Ora Online and Ora New Zealand".
Donna Kerridge, Our Tonotono Tahi – Ora New Zealand
Donna (Ngāti Tahinga, Ngāti Mahuta) is a rongoā Māori practitioner, trainer and advisor of 20+years to a number of NZ Universities, research, professional and private training organizations and has served on a number of health authority expert advisory groups representing the practice of rongoā.
Donna enjoys inspiring others to learn and put into practice the simple yet profound healing wisdom of our ancestors in a way that is respectful, authentic and mindful of the needs of all peoples and the land itself.
I am proud to deliver Ora Online and our foundation Ora Online training course "Our Journey into Rongoā Māori" scheduled for release early 2024.
Pā Rob McGowan, Our Gandalf
Pā Ropata is a prominent Rongoā Māori practitioner, well respected for his work in Rongoā Māori practice and traditional knowledge of native plants and medicines in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Today he is heavily involved in helping to build a bridge between Western Science and Matauranga Māori in conservation management, research and supporting iwi Māori in initiatives that involve restoring the health and wellbeing of Papatūānuku. He is also the Patron for the Tīwaiwaka Movement. We are forever grateful for his support and guiding hand as we do our little bit to lift the mana and mauri of people and place. His passion is caring for the mauri ensuring we return to our indigenous practices of always ensuring our actions put the whenua first!
Emma Haslam, Our Patupaiarehe
Emma (Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Hauā) is a rongoā Māori practitioner who has worked alongside both Donna Kerridge and Rob McGowan for more than 10 years. She runs rongoā wananga for local government, hapū and our rangatahi. She has a close association with Hospice New Zealand caring for whānau end of life in West Auckland. She is a māmā to her 4 grown children and tāua to her 2 mokopuna.
Conan Fitzpatrick, Our Film Guy
Conan is our director of photography and editor with around 20 years experience, through which he has maintained a strong emphasis on environmental and social justice themes.
Recent work includes Ake Ake Ake, 3x one-hour documentaries for Māori TV on the crisis at Ihumaatao, precipitating out of a year working among tangata whenua there. His work with author and documentarian Bryan Bruce includes The Food Crisis (Sky) and Inside Child Poverty Revisited (Three), which was nominated for best documentary at the 2023 New Zealand Television Awards.
We are grateful to Conan for the great deal of time he has immersed himself in te Ao Māori, informing a sensibility that now suffuses every aspect of his work and worldview.
Molly Konui, Our Tonotono Rua
Molly (Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Uenukukopako, Ngāti Te Roro-o-te-rangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Rarawa) is a rongoā Māori practitioner and founder of Indigework Limited.
Brought up with rongoā in the whānau from her pāpā she first met Donna & Pā (McGowan) over 15 years ago and has been always grateful for their aroha, teachings and support. A lover of our Taiao, you will often find her on the whenua or in the ngāhere. Molly also runs rongoā wānanga and workshops for whānau, hapū, Iwi, community and schools around the motu. Having an IT background in a former life, Molly worked alongside Donna to establish and set-up Ora Online and our inaugural foundation course "Our Journey into Rongoā Māori".
