A Whakatū-based programme that supports tāne of all ages is in a financial fight for its survival after the Government changed the way Whānau Ora funding is distributed.
The changes from July could see programmes like Maranga miss out on money to continue delivering positive results through its tikanga-focussed wānanga.
Mākoi Takao runs Maranga, alongside Cam Forbes. Both have day jobs working in men’s mental health but are passionate about this tikanga-based kapuapa that helps tāne reset their outlook on life.
“When they get in touch with their Māori identity, they’re a lot more empowered, a lot stronger, a lot more more resilient. And it’s just like, wow, look at that. As an outsider looking at that, it’s like, that’s fantastic,” says Forbes.
As well as hui held at a local marae, the rōpū also head away on camping trips, like to Waikutakuta Bay/Robin Hood Bay, just out of Blenheim. The aim of the camp is to take the boys away from the stresses of everyday life.
“(The camp helps) disrupt some unhealthy patterns and expose some of the boys to things they haven’t done before” says Takao.
Maranga received $100,000 dollars from the Lotteries Commission and through Whanau Ora for their pilot programme.
“If you just look at the current environment for funding these sorts of initiatives, it’s a bit bleak, but you know that’s why we have to double down and go harder,” Cam Forbes says.
Kapohau Matiu-Wharepapa has attended several of these wānanga, after losing several of his close friends to suicide.
“It had helped me out a lot through some challenging times dealing with mental health.”
Matiu-Wharepapa now helps mentor the men and is responsible for organising the activities they do at camp, like learning to dive for paua and mahinga kai.
“We’ve created some tight connections and trust with one another. Whether someone’s going through some sort of court case or maybe just about to face prison or someone’s struggling with their depression or addictions we don’t know what someone’s facing behind closed doors,” says Takao.
“A lot of them don’t come out to a place a little isolated, so being just amongst Te Taiao, having a go at these activities,” Matiu-Wharepapa adds.
From mental health challenges, to relationship troubles and other traumas, the Maranga programme is built on a tuakana-teina relationship, and although their issues might not be the same, together they can offer one another support.
“Some of them come with a whole bunch of bravado and this shield and this external, this hard shell that they have going on and then it’s cool to just see them feel safe to drop that and be themselves and recognise it’s a safe space,” says Takao.
