Meet the Team

Tūtakina ngā Kaimahi

Mums4Mums Trustees / Ngā Kaitarahiti o ‘Mā Māmā, Mō Māmā’

CJ Dafoe

Founder & Managing Trustee

Making a difference in the community is what drives CJ – she loves being a part of Mums4Mums and hearing the success stories from the whānau who have been blessed by having the Mums4Mums volunteers assisting them in the first weeks and months of being a new mum.

She personally knows how hard it can be being a new mother and was so grateful for the help of her friends when she became a mum.

Now she gets to return the favour and in a much bigger way.

Annette Papuni-McLellan

Trustee

Annette is a dynamic and values-driven leader with extensive experience in project management, governance, and community leadership. She is deeply committed to creating equitable and meaningful outcomes for families and communities, drawing on her strong background in financial oversight, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative decision-making.

With a gift for bringing people together, Annette builds trust and connection across diverse groups and helps shape initiatives that truly make a difference. Her leadership is guided by kaupapa Māori values, ensuring that culture, compassion, and collaboration are at the heart of every project.

Known for her strategic insight and down-to-earth approach, Annette brings both wisdom and warmth to the Mums4Mums kaupapa—helping to build stronger, more supported whānau.

Tamra Steens

Trustee

Tamra is passionate about families as she believes they are the foundation that knits society together - and māmā and pēpi are the heart of that.

She grew up in Tauranga, to where she has returned after studies and other pursuits led her elsewhere, including Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland.

She holds a BCom in Management and a BA in Psychology from the University of Otago and a PgDip in Geography (GIS) from the University of Waikato.

Tamra currently works as Practice Liason and Systems Admin for a local PHO, where she is on the journey of discovering more about Tikanga Māori and her own Māori heritage. She sits on the Clinical Governance Board where she provides data and represents the PHO.

Tamra is happy to be contributing to such a worthy cause and hopes her skills and background will prove valuable with Mums4Mums.

New Trustee Coming

Trustee

New info coming soon.

Mums4Mums Coordinators & Admin Team /
Ngā Kairuruku/Kaiwhakahaere o ‘Mā Māmā, Mō Māmā’

Vacant

Operations Manager

Vacant

Kaiārahi, Matrescence Coordinator, Tauranga

Rachael Wheeler

Kaiārahi, Matrescence Coordinator, Tauranga

Rachael is a mother of two school-aged children and three fur babies (2x cats, 1x puppy). She remembers now how overwhelmed, sleep deprived and unsupported she was with her second child and became a version of herself she did not recognise.

This is why she is so passionate about helping other mums who are doing their best but need a little extra TLC. Rachael has a background in Nannying and In-Home Care as well as working in various admin roles, including the Health and Safety Sector.

She has a love of dance, photography and gardening/indoor plants. Rachael is looking forward to growing with Mums4Mums and meetings new families and their new bundles of love.

Vacant

Kaiārahi, Matrescence Coordinator, Rotorua & Whaktane

Sukhwant Kaur Malhi

Deputy CE

With more than 10-years’ experience in hospitality management after completing her studies in Business Management specializing in Hospitality Level 7, Sukhwant is changing gears and bringing her expertise, knowledge and customer service skill set to Mums4Mums as our Volunteer Coordinator. Sukhwant and her husband originally arrived in New Zealand in 2014 from India via Singapore and have called New Zealand home since then. Their twin boys were born in November 2020 and were our very first Mums4Mums family and the reason our charity started. This is a full circle experience for Sukhwant going from receiving the TLC and support from our volunteers to now being able to work as our Volunteer Coordinator and providing support to them.