Te Arapo - This is Aotearoa

Te Arapo | New Plymouth, Taranaki

“I’m actually homeless at the moment, living at a homeless shelter in New Plymouth. I’ve been there for about eight days. Due to drug and alcohol abuse, I’m currently unable to see my kids, and I’m seeking help.

I have a business idea that I want to pursue. I’m studying business and management, looking to better myself, for my family and my friends. I’ve been through a lot with my family. I grew up in Rotorua with my nan. She raised me from about four until 13. I was born in Rotorua with my nan, and she passed away when I was 13. I ended up going to Waitakere College, because I had family up there. I got my Level 3 uni entrance, and then I got caught up in the wrong gangs, and started doing drugs and alcohol, and supplying. I moved to Wellington with my mum, and stayed there for about 18 months, and finished off my schooling. Then my sister moved to Waitara in New Plymouth, and I settled down there and started working. Everything was all good. I’ve got four kids, and at the moment, I’m homeless, and got a protection order on myself. I’m seeking help with drug and alcohol counselling. Ah, it’s been helpful with Tui Ora and I’m trying to find employment. My hope for the future is I want to be able to have my own business, run my own business, and get my kids back. Well, at least be able to see them and reconcile the relationships that I’ve maybe broken in the past. I want to be able to help people with things like people that are homeless. I want to get into maybe starting a City Mission for New Plymouth, and get in touch with tikanga Māori, do tikanga Māori programs. I’ve been studying with Te Wānanga Aotearoa. Kia ora, bro. Tēnā koe.

My advice would just be, who cares about what anybody else says about you. Don’t look into bad influences. Say what you want to say, do what you want to do, and be whatever you want to be. It’s possible. Don’t let anyone get you down, you can achieve whatever you want to in life, if you pursue it well enough. What I’ve learned over the past few years is that you are the master of yourself. You can’t let other people put you down. You’ve got to do what you can to succeed, regardless of the situation. Don’t fall into bad habits, or bad influences. Got to say whatever you want to say, do whatever you want to do, and be whatever you want to be, really.”

What, if anything, have you done differently after visiting this site?

Kale

Kale

Kale | Welbourn, Taranaki - "I used to do quite a few heavy drugs and used to be around a lot of violent, angry people, and I just had that moment of realisation that I wanted to change. So, instead of focussing on doing negative things, I wanted to do something positive, and the one thing that’s always in the back of my mind was my nan, and helping others."
Ezra

Ezra

Ezra | Fitzroy, Taranaki - "It made my life really difficult, just moving from house to house, and not actually understanding what home means. So, when people ask that question, where’s home, it’s almost like saying, what is the key to the universe."
Chaana

Chaana

Chaana | Raetihi, Manawatū-Whanganui - "My uncle made me do a pōwhiri, or a karanga as they call it, for the first time. I was able to perform that welcoming out of my comfort zone. No practice, no time to prep, and knowing that the people we were calling to come to us were standing right in front of me."
Tihi

Tihi

Tihi | Ōhakune, Manawatū-Whanganui - "Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei which means to go after the sacred treasure, or go out and chase your dreams, and if you have to bail let it be to the great mountain."
Naima

Naima

Naima | Mt Roskill, Auckland- "Waxaan doonayaa ciyaalka badan oo New Zealand jooga ciyaalka New Zealand joogaan inay noqdaan brave. Inay dadka u sheegaan wadankan waa wadankeyni. Waa haddeer It’s our new home. I want the many children in New Zealand, the children in New Zealand to be brave. To tell people that the country is theirs. It is now, it’s our new home."
Kiri

Kiri

Kiri | Ōhakune, Manawatū-Whanganui - "Home for me is the feeling of being safe, being in a community that’s loving and caring. Home is a feeling. Especially this place. This place does something special to people."
Te Arapo

Te Arapo

Te Arapo | New Plymouth, Taranaki - "My hope for the future is I want to be able to have my own business, run my own business, and get my kids back. Well, at least be able to see them and reconcile the relationships that I’ve maybe broken in the past."
Jade

Jade

Jade | Westown, Taranaki - "I’ve learned to be more accepting towards things that I don’t really like. I’ve learned to be less judgemental towards others, and I’ve become more forgiving to things that may be hard to forgive. I’m more brave and confident in myself to do the things that I talk about."
Jace

Jace

Jace | Waitara, Taranaki - "I’ve been through some pretty hard moments myself, and just seeing the people around me hurt because of it makes me want to better myself, and so I find ways to express it, rather than doing anything that could affect other people around me, which is what got me into art in the first place."
Shaz

Shaz

Shaz | Timaru, Canterbury - "What I’ve learned is that I can be strong for myself, and even when things get hard, just look back on it and say, look at the end goal and focus on that."

Te Arapo | New Plymouth, Taranaki

“I’m actually homeless at the moment, living at a homeless shelter in New Plymouth. I’ve been there for about eight days. Due to drug and alcohol abuse, I’m currently unable to see my kids, and I’m seeking help.

What, if anything, have you done differently after visiting this site?

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