Hofangahau College – ‘Eua
Outwest Youth Community Trust is approaching youth work in a unique wayby taking 12 local Kaipara College students to Tonga in July 2019 to share their knowledge and skills with a high school on the small island of ‘Eua. While there they will be teaching the students Ki o rahi as well as other traditional Mâori games, and will donate musical instruments and art supplies to the school.
Before the trip of a lifetime they are spending time every week with Youth Coach Chrissy Young learning life skills, personal development, goal setting, and team building. As well as their weekly meeting they meet every term for a wananga to develop these skills further and to fund raise the $45,000 needed for the trip. Coming up they have some great plans, including a day spent with Hako Brown teaching traditional games.This knowledge will then be shared in the community as the students hold workshops for local primary children.
Car wash fund raising
This type of youth work is not the usual approach, in that it is a long-term project using a success-based business model, more like life coaching. The advantages are that it teaches students that no matter where they come from or what they are facing they all have something significant to offer their whanau, the community and the world. This year is about spending time discovering the skills of the group as a collective and as individuals. Already they are seeing growth in the students’ self-esteem, leadership skills and goalsetting.
To fund this project,Outwest Youth is asking for community support. You will see them around Helensville, offering to wash cars, having bake sales, planting trees on local farms, sausage sizzles and cooking a great hangi. They also would love to get involved in community work. The kaupapa for fundraising is ‘no man left behind’ so it is up to the group to support each otherin their fundraising efforts.
If you have any jobs that need doing, land that needs clearing or other projects then please email Chrissy Young (Chrissy@outwestyouth.org.nz). Chrissy would be happy to discuss the possibility of sponsorship and mentoring of individual students with interested businesses.
