STEPS with a difference

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 42, 9 April 1985, Page 3

STEPS with a difference

A rather unusual STEPS programme is currently underway on the banks of the Wanganui River. The programme differs from the usual STEPS scheme, as the participants and the tutors travel from marae to marae along the river, living on the maraes five days per week. The programme is run by Piki Tikiari along with four other tutors. Currently the group is living at the Jerusalem Marae, giving the youngsters an opportunity to gain work experience on local farms. Scrub cutting and sheep shearing are two of the jobs they have been helping with. The nine people in the group are aged from 1 4 to 1 8 and most were in institutions or unemployed before joining the scheme. "It gives these kids a second chance

and keeps them out of the institutions and off the streets," says Piki. The course runs for one year. This is the second course of this type Piki has run — after last year's course eight out of the ten people on the course found employment. Piki states the course is wider than just the STEPS programme. "We are taking the young people back to their own maraes and letting them retrace their heritage so they have some sense of spiritual identity which is most important," she says. The group members get up at 5.30am and pray and eat together before setting off to work, "When they get back we talk about the day's work and about our problems. The evenings end with thanksgiving." During the evening the kids play piano and guitar,

write their own songs, play cards and listen to tapes. "We are limited with our sports equipment," says Piki, "we wish we could get more." The kids are hoping to put together a community fundraising activity with raffles and will also offer for sale arts and crafts which they make. "The kids would love an old truck — it wouldn't matter if it wasn't going as they could work on it and do it up," stated Piki. At present the group's only transport is John Hammond's rural service. Piki says she has very little trouble with discipline as

"the kids have respect for us and the environment." It is hoped that a branch of the programme will be set up at the Raetihi Marae, but plans for the scheme are still being negotiated with the Labour Department and Wanganui Community College. "We would like to think that every marae could take up a programme for their young people and create work amongst their own communities," says Piki. As for the children on the programme — they all agree that living on the marae and working is much better than what they were doing before, which for most was 'nothing'.