Economic and Community Development
The Matipo Story

The Black Power leadership had decided that the world of crime and drugs was not the way forward for their children.  To our eyes, Matipo St was a pretty bleak place. Run down state housing, almost all occupied by unemployed people, most with strong connections to Black Power.

Kate Smith from the Wanganui Club talking at the Rotary Symposium about this project

 

A brief history:  A Maori Group from both the City and Upriver set up a trust with far reaching aims for development of Maori interests in the region.  Dairy goats, boutique forestry, mushrooms, market gardens, quarrying and more.  As a group they were invited to our lunchtime meeting and made a presentation. Included in the Group was a representative from Black Power who had a stronghold in Matipo St in Castlecliff.  The leadership had decided that the world of crime and drugs was not the way forward for their children.  To our eyes, Matipo St was a pretty bleak place. Run down state housing, almost all occupied by unemployed people, most with strong connections to Black Power.

They had been allocated a couple of empty sections in Matipo St where they were going to develop a community garden.  The club decided that Economic Development for Maori in the whole region, was a step too far for the club but that we could support the Matipo St group.  

The (former) Black Power members had almost no resources in terms of either funding or skills.  What they did have was a determination to do better for their kids.    First we collected surplus garden tools from our members, bought a few such as a wheelbarrow to fill the gaps and presented them in a little ceremony out at the gardens.  There was an associated group who had a contract from district council to process city greenwaste into compost. 

The club chipped in and bought the Matipo group a trailer for compost collection and other garden uses.

 

The club was fortunate that the President elect at the time, Lei Graham, had worked as a literacy/numeracy tutor at the prison.  She already had the confidence of some of the Black Power people and she was accustomed to interacting with them, a feat that was rather challenging to most of our members.  Lei, through Landbased Training, set up the first program to be delivered in a house that had been supplied by Housing NZ. 

It grew. Other groups started providing courses.

The former Black Power guys gained NCEA certificates in horticulture Level 2 and Level 3.  The garden prospered and the trailer was usefully employed in carting surplus vegetables to the Whanganui Foodbank.   Everyone in the street (and beyond) could come down and help themselves to vegetables for their family meals.  The first year of a carpentry course has now been completed with about eight gaining Level one certificates and progressing to Level two this year.

 

 

At the presentation ceremony when these young men received their certificates, the press reported one of them as saying, “we could never have done this without Rotary’s help”

The Group needed to set up a Charitable Trust for their operation. Rotary provided much needed advice.    They needed safe storage for the trailer and the garden tools; Rotary bought them a shipping container. 

 

They needed a shade house to grow the seedlings.  Rotary helped with an application to a local trust for the funding.  We helped them paint the container and the carpentry course guys built the shade house.

Some Rotary members helped with the organisation of a Christmas party for the kids at the Gardens. 

The Club President supported an application made to Vodafone for funding. The Trust was successful in getting one of 5 National Contracts awarded. 

Des Warahi was appointed because of his huge experience with community development and is now employed on a one year contract to ensure that the project is sustainable.

Members of the trust are being mentored in all facets of running a training organisation from meeting procedures, fund raising, marketing, strategic planning, negotiating contracts etc. One of his first tasks was to persuade the men that they really should have driver’s licences! There is quite a way to go and there have been some serious hiccups (not all Black Power members were convinced although almost all have now come around), but development continues.

To date three of the Black Power members have gained employment from the initiative. Those who participated in training have either gone on to higher learning or are looking for employment.

They now have a contract with Council growing seedlings in the shade house.

The carpentry students are building a proto-type Granny Flat to market to potential buyers and thus create further employment opportunities for members. 

Funding for Capital items is hard to obtain so other ways of funding need to be explored.

One of the nice things about this project is that to all intents and purposes the Matipo St people are doing it and deserve the credit.  Rotary is there to provide assistance, expertise and some funding to help them over the hurdles. 

Lei Graham, Past President was approached to serve on the Matipo  Community Development Trust Board.  To avoid any conflict of interest, she asked that another Rotarian be appointed to deal with future projects.

     PP Lei Graham and Group leader  Wayne Te Moananui

 

President Elect Stuart Hylton accepted the role. This will ensure that we continue to provide support when required. It also allows us to see the benefits of our work in the community.

Interestingly enough the trust logo is Growing our Community. It was designed by one of the members.

 

Whilst initially the leaders dream was to help the Black Power members, it now, embraces the whole community.