Who... Te Waiariki Purea Trust (TWPT)

What They Do... TWPT offers rangatahi and whānau services within the Te Arawa rohe (Bay of Plenty), supporting people to be active in their communities, achieve in education, be culturally connected and engage with their whānau.

Their Project... Te Arawa Journey (TAJ) - Mai Maketu ki Tongariro is a longstanding outdoor pursuits and life skills programme open to rangatahi aged 10-15 years. The programme seeks to develop rangatahi into leaders and encourage understanding of oneself and one's whakapapa through outdoor activities and challenges.

The Journey... Over four weekends throughout February/March TWPT and their group of rangitahi embarked on a trip toward self-discovery and self-learning. Weekend one saw the group plan for a trip to Maketu where they went sea-kayaking and attended a noho maerae. The goal for this trip was to 'set the set' and make connections with their fellow rangatahi (whakawhanaungatanga). The second weekend was spent camping on Mokoia Island (which they paddled out to in waka ama) where the rangatahi had a chance to connect to their whakapapa and to Te Arawa. Weekend three of the journey involved more 'gurelling' sea-kayaking on Lake Rotomahana and Lake Tarawera, this experience taught the group about positive reinforcement and positive mindsets. The final weekend was a three day mission around Mount Ruapehu where the biggest learning came in the forms of team work and moral support.

The Outcomes... TWPT found that their selected cohort responded well to the challenges of this wānanga and that their achievements resulted in self-confidence and positive mindsets. Based on feedback from the rangatahi here are some of the key outcomes:

• Resilience and improved/increased leadership capabilities
• Everyday life skills learnt and ready to be utilised outside of the Te Arawa Journey
• A desire to support future rangatahi in the Te Arawa Journey programmes
• Leadership is about the 'We' and not the 'I'

"We now have a group of rangatahi who can be invited to assist with future Te Arawa Journey programmes and be put into a Tuakana Teina role with other rangatahi. We look forward to working alongside these rangatahi and watching how they develop. Having completed this program as a pilot, we will be looking to run this program run on a more regular basis." - Nick Chater, TWPT