Tewhetumarama – Avondale
“My name is Tewhetumarama and I’m currently living on the streets. [My last message] was to my friend Carla, and I was supposed to meet her on Monday, but I had to tell her I cancelled. I haven’t seen her for months and I didn’t get a reply. We used to meet every Monday for coffees, and have a bit of a smoke, and now we don’t do that anymore.
I’ve come from the Hokianga. I was brought up with my grandparents and an aunty. I had seven children; one of them passed away and then after that I became homeless, and mental health services don’t seem to want to have much to do with it.
I’m hoping to live in a home soon, but I’m not really in a hurry to. I’m taking this time camping out, I call it. I don’t really call it homelessness I’m camping out just to make it a little bit easier.
Interviewer: Sounds like you’ve got a bit of a smile on your face when you call it camping out.
Yeah, because I’ve enjoyed that part of my life; I like the outdoor life. I did a lot of hiking before I had my accident in 2008. I’d just finished my basic training and I was getting ready to graduate, and then I had a car accident. I got hit by a vehicle, which landed me in hospital for three months with a compound fractured ankle. From there I lived in Hamilton, and I felt isolated. That’s why I like Avondale so much, because I’m not isolated here. The people can relate to some of the things I’m going through, and I’m not the only female here. Plus, Avondale food’s really nice, and the people here are really good.
In Auckland City you’re sort of an alien. It’s like if you walk in front of them you get bowled over. You’ve just got to walk. Everyone walks real fast there. I’d rather stay in Avondale on the streets than in Auckland City; it’s pretty dangerous. Some of those streeties fight each other, and steal off each other. They robbed me, so I’m going to be extra careful today, and you’ve got to be wary about people. You can’t just go and mingle with them, because if you don’t know who they are and don’t know their background they might just murder me or something, over a cigarette.
Work and Income New Zealand help if you live in a house. WINZ supplies it all and did you know that everyone in New Zealand is on a benefit? Like, you’re not allowed to not have money in New Zealand, because it’s illegal. We hold signs right? Some of the signs on their cardboards say, ‘oh I’ve got no benefit’, or ‘WINZ cut it off’, or ‘ACC threw all my gears in the tip’. I write, ‘homeless and struggling -please can you help?’ I forget to ask for money, but, oh, what was the question? I forgot. Sorry.
It would be better if they left the public toilets open, you know, so that the streeties don’t have to go around using the trees for public vanity. They’re not going to smash them or break them. They’re just going to use them, and they should have showers like Taupō, just to accommodate the ones that don’t want to live inside.
I’d say, don’t judge a book by its cover. I’m not saying talk to every streetie you meet, but you know, just have a heart, because some of them are genuine, and some of the women are women that left hard relationships from gang members and husbands and were getting beaten up, so they turned to the streets.
I’d just like to say, a little bit of support and even a warm jersey is something kind, and maybe a pair of trousers if you see someone that’s got no trousers on. It’d be nice if you could buy that person a pair of trousers, because there’s a reason why that person’s like that, but nobody’s approached us to say, why are you dressed like that? How about helping each other, be kind and look after our children, look after your wives, your grandparents, and especially yourselves – especially out here. It can get cold and I think if I was to die on the streets, it would be of pneumonia.”
