Ngametua - This is Aotearoa

Ngametua | Māngere

“Ah, my name is Ngametua and I’m from Māngere. This is where I live, my hometown. I’d like to change my lifestyle because it’s in a pretty bad situation at the moment but hopefully next year will bring a brighter year, as in for myself and for everyone else that’s in a down time world at the moment. Otherwise, live life to the fullest, and just got to keep moving on, and just keep the love strong.

I’ve always been here in Mānagere, but I haven’t been here for like 17 years, plus. I’ve just finally come back home, and I see a lot of all my mates and everything, and I’ve got a long story to tell, but I think I better keep that one private. It’s not a good story, but hopefully, next year will bring me a better ending, and a better start for a new life. Don’t really want to expose that part to the world, or to anyone that I know. A lot of people do know the situation I’m in, and I would like to say more, but I can’t. I would rather keep it a secret.

Well working 24/7. Well seven days a week maybe, if that’s possible, without being tired and being lazy after a whole week of work. What I usually do is traffic control. I deal with like Auckland transport and all of that. I’m an STMS, qualified but just not working at the moment. Just got other things to sort out that’s going on in life, at the moment for me, but I’m enjoying it at the moment, now that summer’s coming. Beach is on, why not just have life. Just enjoy it. That’s what makes life more fun, and interesting. Just get to know more people. People know me well. Like, I’m a people’s person. I get along with all sorts of cultures, what-not, doesn’t matter. There is no hate. Oh, there is a bit, but towards family-wise, otherwise, love’s in the air.

You’ll probably see me a lot more brighter and happier, even though I am a bit bright, but I’m just keeping a dark side of me hidden. I reckon when it comes to next year I will a lot more happier and a lot brighter, and just look forward to knowing more people.”

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

Sophie

Sophie

Sophie | Point Chevalier - "Figuring out how other people think and understanding them so that we’re not ignorant and we celebrate diversity and learn to appreciate each other."
Mark

Mark

Mark | Wellington - "I think the people suffering with mental illness, it’s just a very cathartic way of expressing themselves, either through painting or through writing. And if they’re able to actually paint the demons that they have to live with every day I think it’s a wonderful form of therapy."
Izi May

Izi May

Izi May | Pukekohe - "It does stop me from doing normal things, because people can’t see it, they often, tell you to get over it, or whatever, which you can’t, and it’s a bit difficult trying to get people to understand stuff like that."
Sonny

Sonny

Sonny | Rānui - "That’s my main goal, is to better myself to become a better father, a better role model for my son and my younger brothers."
Mia

Mia

Mia | Māngere - "We are all about making sure that people understand whatever they want for life is possible, from knowing who they are, and that stems back to your culture, your ancestors, and the origins of your birth."
Lui

Lui

Lui | Māngere - "My resolution would be to just to be more like everybody else, to be honest, to have more place to put input, to be a part of society, to have a job, have a place to stay, to stand on my own feet, and to say, look I did it, I’m here with you."
Gonzalo

Gonzalo

Gonzalo | Newmarket - "I think it is really good to know a city on a bike. You connect more with the street. You connect more with the people. I think you connect with the fluency of the city with the bike."
Natasha

Natasha

Natasha | Māngere - "Just caring, being responsible, not just for ourselves but for the community around us and just trying to be not only a positive effect in my own life, but to do that for others."
Sarah

Sarah

Sarah | Mahurangi West - "It’s looking at what systems can we develop that enable people to heal, enable environments to heal, and beyond healing, how can we come back to an integrated sense of self both as communities, where we’re not polarised, where we don’t react to things. We co-create things."
Sykes

Sykes

Sykes | Rānui - "There’s a lot of things. Like change my perspective more. Just taking care of my family more, because I’ve been distant. Saving money, helping out more, all those unconditional things."

Ngametua | Māngere

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

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