By us, for us: Building strong foundations for Porirua rangatahi - A REVIEW OF TE ROOPU TIAKI RANGATAHI, MAY 2021
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A REVIEW OF TE ROOPU TIAKI RANGATAHI, MAY 2021 By us, for us: Building strong foundations for Porirua rangatahi
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Te Roopu Tiaki Rangatahi (TRTR) is a
youth-led development programme that
grows youth wellbeing and resilience among
young people in Porirua. Since October 2018
it has developed robust youth leadership
capacity and exercised this leadership to inform a wide range
of initiatives across Porirua.
For a community with a very youthful population that has
many predictors of poor life outcomes, TRTR provides a
valuable circuit-breaker which cuts through many of the
well-meaning, single-problem-focused initiatives that are
dropped into the community.
Based on the three-year development phase, TRTR has
surfaced some exciting plans and approaches that can
continue to build on its achievements to date.
3 TRTR BUILT ON COMMUNITY COLLABORATION TRTR was established in October 2018 as a collaboration between four organisations in Porirua, collectively known as the Alliance. This level of tight collaboration was new for the Porirua community. The four organisations that make up the Alliance are: Maraeroa Marae Health Clinic Taeaomanino Trust Tumai Hauora ki Porirua Wesley Community Action Wesley Community Action provides backbone support to TRTR, employing two youth workers and providing administrative and other support. COLLABORATIVE FUNDING FOR A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE During its first two years (October 2018 to September 2020) TRTR received funding from three sources: Porirua City Council the Ministry of Youth Development the Department of Internal Affairs. During its third year (starting October 2020) the major funder is Porirua City Council, with a smaller amount of funding from MYD. Wesley Community Action has been able to source needed funding from philanthropic sources to fill the gaps. YOUTH LEADERSHIP SITS AT THE HEART OF TRTR Youth leadership and youth governance sits at the heart of TRTR. Rather than young people being seen as “problems to be fixed”, TRTR is based on the belief that young people are a rich resource for leadership, creativity, innovation and hope in our community. This capacity is supported by a network of adults in the form of youth workers and staff of the Alliance partners.
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TRTR BASED ON SOLID RESEARCH
TRTR is informed by research on brain development, resilience building, positive
youth development and community-led development.
There is a growing body of evidence that what happens in the teenage years is
very important for long term well-being. Adolescence is a time of significant and
protracted brain development. This means that the teenage years are a time of
great opportunity (to build resilience, strengthen positive pathways, and reduce
the impact of harm that may have already occurred). These changes also mean
that young people can be more vulnerable because they are more sensitive and
susceptible to harm.
The experiences, opportunities, relationships and the connections to culture and
faith that young people have during this critical time can make a big difference.
TRTR works from this understanding to skillfully and consciously support
rangatahi. In doing this TRTR not only makes their lives happier and healthier
right now, but it also invests in the future by helping them to gain the skills and
attitudes they need grow into confident and capable parents and citizens.
Based on this body of research, TRTR works to create the space and opportunity
for rangatahi to:
see for themselves and demonstrate to others that they are a rich resource of
leadership, creativity, innovation and hope in our community
build and practice executive-functioning skills to plan, set goals, reflect, solve
problems and persist when things get hard
gain confidence in their ability to make positive things happen in their own
lives and community
experience that the difficulties they may be dealing with are just one part of
what’s happening for them; it is not the whole picture of who they are, nor
what they can become
find and build connections and supportive positive relationships with peers
and adults
grow and celebrate their cultural connections, have (and go on to become)
strong positive role models in their own culture, and respect and learn to work
collaboratively across cultural difference.
5 THE ROLE OF THE PAE TRTR is led by a youth leadership group initially called the Rangatahi Paepae. The members soon renamed it The Pae, and they call the journey they are on Voyage. The Pae is responsible for designing and delivering programmes and events for young people in the Porirua area. During TRTR’s first two years, the team helped organise 13 events and activities. These ranged from a Youth Voice open mic concert held at Pataka in June 2019 to the Youth2Business forum held in August 2020, which provided young people with a chance to hear from and meet local entrepreneurs and start-up businesspeople. The Pae initially had 12 members and is now a core group of seven. THE PAE INVOLVED IN CITY DECISION-MAKING Members of The Pae are also increasingly involved in city decision-making, acting as a consultation group for other projects and organisations within the region. These projects and organisations include: providing input into a new youth justice project at the Porirua District Court known as the Young Adult List running a campaign called Tag2Vote to encourage youth voting during the 2019 local body elections collaborating with Pacific Health Plus on a one-day youth workshop on family violence working with Capital and Coast District Health Board to design a Youth One Stop Shop as a place to provide a range of primary health care supports.
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KEY ACTIVITIES IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS
Key activities during TRTR’s first two years include:
appointing a youth worker based at Wesley Waitangirua and recruiting
the initial Pae members
providing input into a range of city decision-making activities with a strong focus
on youth mental health
working with Capital Basketball to run an inter-school basketball competition
running Bakers Club sessions at both primary and secondary schools. Bakers Club
provides an opportunity to learn to cook and budget for meals while building social
connectivity through teamwork and encouraging conversions around wellbeing,
health and esteem
implementing a Transition to Work programme at Aotea College. Activities
included planting trees for the Ministry of Conservation, removing graffiti and
cleaning up Elson Park
running a mentoring programme in eight local schools. The programme aims to
build self-confidence and resilience and learning how to control emotions. By the
end of 2020 the mentoring programme had reached 93 young people
establishing a relationship with local organisation, Partners Porirua, to give
young people access to the organisation’s programme, which aims to successfully
transition Porirua rangatahi to a future they aspire to
providing an opportunity for more than 100 young people to give back to their
community through working with the Department of Conservation on a volunteer
tree-planting programme and with the Porirua City Council, doing things such as
working in the nursery, removing graffiti and removing rubbish.
COVID 19 RESPONSE
During the Covid 19 lockdown in March and
April 2020, TRTR went online, with interactive
activities provided for one hour each weekday.
These were very popular with rangatahi,
including those who had not engaged with
TRTR previously. The online activities included
exercise, music, cooking, learning, whānau and
fun activities.
During this time two Pae members also worked
with Pacific Health Plus helping to deliver
support across the Wellington region.
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RECENT ACTIVITIES
Since November 2020 TRTR has:
developed a set of five Building Blocks to guide its next phase of development and
strengthen the critical foundations for rangatahi to do well in the Porirua community
held a series of Suicide Prevention wananga for rangatahi aged 12 to 18
run the Switch holiday programme for 11- to 15-year-olds during the 2020/2021
summer holidays
run a creative arts programme for students at Porirua Alternative School
started to document its youth participation model – “teina and tuakana”
worked on developing a simple evaluation framework.
TRTR – WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY
Discussions with TRTR participants and partners about whether they thought the
programme was meeting its expected objectives identified four clear themes:
1. The Alliance is an effective collaboration: The four organisations have overcome the
barriers that often prevent organisations from working more collaboratively, and have
learned how to genuinely work together.
“The collaboration with the Alliance
works well. Lots of difference minds and
perspectives from the governance perspective
but they let the young people lead. The
balance is very special.”
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2. The Pae is an authentic youth voice: TRTR was intended to build leadership capacity in
youth across the city and is widely recognised to have achieved that.
“Over the last couple of years, “Other services for youth are
we’ve watched the core group not supported by young people
of the Pae really blossom – grow – everything we do is made by
in the skills and confidence to us, for us, - we know how to
advocate in adult environments deliver it in a way that works
– they know that they can for us.”
add value to their peers in the
community.”
3. There are improved outcomes for youth: TRTR built the Pae,
developed youth relationships and delivered programmes that meet the
needs of local young people in a short time.
“I have reached out and “Youth know that TRTR is here
discovered new services in to create a safe space for them
the community that I didn’t – they continue to see TRTR
know existed and now I am build their profile through
passing that knowledge on to the community and give them
my family and friends. Now we opportunities.
are a family and we are always The outcomes for them are
growing but definitely feel that there is always something
fulfilled.” out there for them.”
4. There are wider community benefits: The Pae is
increasingly becoming a go-to voice for young input.
This has lifted the profile of youth in Porirua City.
“The Pae have become a best practice model
for youth consultation – a lot of agencies have
engaged with the Pae as a good youth model.”
9 WHERE TO NEXT FOR TRTR? TRTR has been quietly supporting a rare youth leadership process. The reach of the programme in the Porirua community is remarkable given its short history. Programme participants and partners are clear something unique and important is being offered to young people in the city. As a Pae member put it: “We have a whole lot more-aware, more-encouraged young people – with all our events we try to elevate young people and I know that we’ve done that.” Youth development work is not well understood or valued. With TRTR the Porirua community has grown a powerful capacity amongst its youth that is greatly needed. With the right support, there is great potential to leverage off the knowledge and capacity that has been achieved already to deliver greater value in a community facing multiple challenges but with profound strengths.
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BUILDING BLOCKS:
GOALS AND MEASURES
GOAL 5: FEEL GOOD AND CONFIDENT WITHIN SELF
Measures: Activities/opportunities that enable rangatahi to name what is
positive about self, feel connected to others. Can name my skills. Have a
can do attitude. Can contribute.
GOAL 4: BUILD AND GROW STRONG NETWORKS
AND RESOURCES IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Measures: Activities/opportunities that create confidence, connectedness,
sustained relationship with parents, teachers, adults, peers, places and things.
GOAL 3: BUILD AND GROW STRONG IDENTITY
Measures: Activities/opportunities that create cultural awareness, whakapapa
– history and stories, identify your spirituality, know your direction, purpose,
contribution, feeling of belonging.
GOAL 2: BUILDING SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES
Measures: Activities/opportunities that focus on youth skills, ability to set goals,
sustain relationships with parents, teachers adults, peers, team work, managing
school, getting a job, day-to-day functioning.
GOAL 1: GROW STRONG LEADERS
Measures: Activities/opportunities that measure voice of YP, show action, see
responsibility. Rangatahi share their common knowledge, actively encourage
tuakana-teina interactions, raise the voice of rangatahi as leaders. Rangatahi
will see and say they are leadersTHE TRTR MODEL
COLLABORATIVE, YOUTH MEANINGFUL RESULTS FOR
FOCUSED PROCESS POSITIVE ACTIVITES YOUNG PEOPLE
YOUTH VOICE AND • Opportunities to grow
THE ALLIANCE THE PAE LEADERSHIP relationships and connections with
Consultation and youth perspective friends and peers
A collaboration between Maraeroa Up to 12 young people meet
provided for a range of groups in the • More opportunities to give back
Marae Health Clinic, Taeaomanino weekly to develop their own
community and be recognised for their positive
Trusts, Tumai Hauora ki Porirua and leadership skills and help to
contribution to their community
Wesley Community Action provides design and deliver activities.
oversight and governance of TRTR • More opportunity to have their
voices and ideas heard and acted
ACTIVITIES DELIVERED upon
IN SCHOOLS • Developing and practicising
• Bakers Club leadership, planning, goal setting
• Mentoring projects and prioritisation skills
BACKBONE 2X YOUTH WORKERS • Arts projects • Increasing confidence and ability
Wesley Community Action acts as Hold the day-to-day work of TRTR. • Transition to work to see and name their strengths
the backbone providing the funding, They support and facilitate the and contributions
employment, accounting and Voyager Team, co-ordinate with • Practical life and work skills
reporting structures for TRTR. schools and other community ACTIVITIES DELIVERED IN development
groups to deliver activities THE WIDER COMMUNITY
• Tag2 vote
• Basketball
• Holiday sports
• Youth voice open mike
• Connect Youth Festival
• Youth week activities
• Porirua Partnership Programme
(training and employment)
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