Tamiana and Honey Thrupp have lived in Taneatua for a number of years and know first-hand the importance of this project. Tamiana has been the Amorangi for the Waimana Pastorate for the past 9 years. Recently they have felt a calling to a new ministry and have been appointed to this project.

Description of project:

To reduce poverty in the Eastern Bay of Plenty with a pilot project based in Taneatua with the potential to include surrounding rural communities through the provision of budgeting advice (debt management) and the creation of opportunities for sustainable and viable food security through the development of community gardens and social economic enterprise initiatives with a holistic approach to benefit the vulnerable and socially disadvantaged children, young people and their families.

The aims of the project:

Firstly and paramount is to build capability, that is both sustainable and viable in a rural community in the Eastern Bay of Plenty that has a high population of Māori to help vulnerable families gain critical and essential skills to ensure food security and the well-being of children through: budgeting support, growing food and produce developing business skills. Achieving this aim has the potential to lead to future long term sustainable long term self-employment with the possibility of expanding into other areas.

The second aim is to assist with the growing of sustainable crops that bring in revenue, provide food and opportunities for youth in particular to learn practical skills. To work with young people and inspire them to become the guardians of such initiatives which can be developed as small social-economic enterprises.

To assign Tamiana and Honey Thrupp as the local champions to work with a small group of volunteers who have sound budgeting knowledge, who are well connected in the local community and have a vision to develop and walk alongside families and encourage them to grow their own food through community gardens and their local backyards. They will also provide Pastoral care to those in their area. The pilot project has been initiated in Hughes Place, a street with 20 households.