A local midwife who has delivered thousands of Wairoa babies has been acknowledged with a Wairoa Civic Award.

Virginia (Ginny) Mikara, fondly known as Nanny Ginny, graduated as a registered midwife in 1997. She then returned home to her beloved Te Wairoa to manaaki and provide midwifery care to generations of whānau.

The award recognised Ginny’s significant service and contribution to the Wairoa community and the care and wellbeing of Wairoa whānau for over a quarter of a century.

The Wairoa midwifery team nominated Ginny for the prestigious local award.

Ginny’s career in health began as an enrolled nurse before training at the School of Midwifery in Waikato.

When Ginny returned home, it was the early years of the midwifery profession becoming autonomous, providing complete care from early pregnancy, labour and birth, and up to six (6) weeks postnatal care.

Ginny never left her people, her whānau, her hapū, her iwi, and she continued to serve her community until she left her beloved profession to raise her cherished mokopuna.

Ginny continued to find a way to share her knowledge and aroha for whānau by taking on a role at Kahungunu Executive with the He Korowai Aroha team, continuing to support breastfeeding māma and loving up the mokopuna in her care with her positive nurturing vibrations into their early years.

Ginny is passionate about parenting and supporting māma and pāpā to be the best they can be and ensuring they know that because they are parents, they were also rangatira.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little, who presented the Wairoa Civic Award, described Ginny as a kind and caring Wairoa person. “Ginny’s aroha and compassion have seen her deliver thousands of Wairoa babies and nurture parents and whānau. Her contribution to our community is enormous, and it was a privilege to present this award to someone of Ginny’s calibre.”

18 December 2023

Back to Archive