A police-led programme that is using the experience and culture of waka ama to help at-risk youth is growing.
Working out of a container alongside Ngāmotu Beach, charitable organisation Te Hapai Hoe (The Uplifted Paddle) has been operating for about 18 months, during which time dozens of young people have passed through the cultural, educational and empowerment programme.
Through the use of waka ama, those referred to the 12-week programme are given lessons in karakia, pepeha and whakapapa, goal setting, health and safety, and environmental awareness, and are helped to gain their driver’s licence.
Port Taranaki has provided the land for the organisation’s container, which houses waka, paddles and lifejackets, and is also providing sponsorship for the purchase of equipment. Now, with the organisation expanding and more waka added to the fleet, a second container is to be added to the site.
“The plan for the programme was always to start small and build up our resources. We aspire to strengthen the partnerships with Port Taranaki and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū and work together to develop this community initiative,” says Te Hapai Hoe chair Sergeant Brad Huntley, who is Māori/Iwi liaison co-ordinator for North Taranaki, and runs the organisation alongside supported resolution officer Sergeant Simon Howard.
“We started with a six-person waka, and one single and a double. This year we’ve been able to purchase two more six-person waka, and a trailer, which was specifically built to transport waka to events and other areas of Taranaki.
“We’re looking to get a fleet of waka, so a lot more singles and doubles eventually. The doubles allow for one-on-one mentoring, while we’d like to have more singles so we can have six or seven kids out there in the morning, working together, building relationships and forming close bonds with each other.”
Te Hapai Hoe is funded by Toi Foundation, with support from iwi and hapū, New Zealand Police, Port Taranaki and Maritime NZ. It has been developed out of the NZ Police strategy Te Huringa o Te Tai (The Turning of the Tide), which aims to improve police engagement with Māori.
“Māori feature heavily in negative statistics when it comes to youth justice, health and education,” says Sergeant Huntley.
“The reclamation of our cultural practices is really important to improving outcomes and is a key driver of what we’re doing with Te Hapai Hoe, with waka ama central to that.”
Sergeant Huntley says he’s seen the “amazing benefits of waka ama”. During the sessions young people feel they are in a safe space where they can talk about their problems.
“We want to design a space that promotes a person’s health and wellbeing through cultural and environmental connection. These aspects of the programme are our priority.
“There’s not just the physical benefits of having a workout, but also the wairua (spirit) benefits of being in the natural environment – on the water, around sea life, and looking up to the maunga.
“People experience a range of emotions and all of a sudden the kids start talking, sharing their problems, and come off the water feeling really uplifted,” he says.
“Through Te Hapai Hoe we can link young people back to their family, further education, employment and, if they enjoy waka ama, we can link them with a club or another sports club – the programme’s going to make some significant changes in people’s lives.”
With the programme’s growth, there are aspirations to establish a whare haumaru on-site, which would include a small kitchen, toilets and showers, and a small health centre/gym space.
“It would be a place that’s warm, dry and inviting – a place young people feel comfortable, as the police station can be intimidating for a lot of people. It’s a place where we’ll be able to continue our work on days that we can’t go out on the water because of the weather or conditions,” Sergeant Howard says.
“As well as our rangatahi, we’ve also had the likes of Taranaki iwi groups, and the New Zealand paraplegic crew use our resources, and we’d like to expand this further, with the opportunity to open it up to cultural experiences as well.”
Sergeant Howard says the support of Port Taranaki has been vital to Te Hapai Hoe becoming established.
“The port has been fantastic. We’re very grateful to them for enabling us to set up beside the beach as it’s an amazing spot – it’s brilliant that it’s very public and people can see what the programme is and what we do. We see the port as a key partner in what we’re doing.”
Port Taranaki head of commercial Ross Dingle says the port is proud to be supporting Te Hapai Hoe.
“It’s a really important programme for supporting and uplifting Taranaki young people, and we’re happy to support it as it develops. Waka ama is a great sport for building confidence and self-esteem, understanding commitment and responsibility, and developing teamwork skills.
“This sort of work is giving some of our more at-risk youth the opportunity to learn more about themselves, where they come from and what they’re capable of, which will benefit themselves, their whānau, and the community in the long term.”
Photo: Te Hapai Hoe chair Sergeant Brad Huntley, left, who is Māori/Iwi liaison co-ordinator for North Taranaki, and supported resolution officer Sergeant Simon Howard.
