Ko Ngapuhi me Ngai Tai i nga Iwi
He aho matua tapu o nga matou Tupuna.
Ko te tino mauri ahuatanga motuhake ahau neira
Ko Shelley Bell taku ingoa
Ko Toi Raranga ki te Ao.
My name is Shelley Bell. I am master weaver based in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland).
For the 2017 NZ Baby Show I will be promoting and selling the Woven Flax Wahakura. Whilst the Wahakura was first recognised as a culturally appropriate alternative to direct bed sharing, the Wahakura has since received clinical accreditation for helping to reduce the risk of SUDI/SIDS. Different to other sleeping vessels the Wahakura can be easily moved to other areas in the house, i.e. on a couch or on a lounge floor, allowing the baby to sleep safe and never far from a parent.
Higher rates of full breastfeeding and closer proximity between mother and baby are other major advantages of using Wahakura.
I believe our babies deserve the best, and the Wahakura is a wonderful safer sleeping vessel that is hard to beat.
