Wairoa Star Article - 23 March 2009
Congratulations Wairoa.
I just wanted to say that I think that it is absolutely fantastic that the Wairoa Community Development Trust was named Supreme Winner at the prestigious TrustPower National Community Awards.
I really love it when I see our community acknowledged on the National stage for outstanding achievement beyond the call of duty.
I am a big supporter of community initiatives which seek to show our children, our teenagers, a positive alternative and a genuine future. From my perspective community driven initiatives will always be far more effective than Government driven programs. So to Mick Lander, Jeremy Harker, District Mayor Les Probert, Makere Jones and the many others who support the project – well done and thank you.
My one concern about projects such as Cactus is that many of these initiatives last for just a few short weeks. Cactus is eight weeks. Many achieve a remarkable turnaround in a relatively short time frame. None more so than Cactus in Wairoa where there has been clear evidence of reduced youth offending. As proof of the success the project is now being replicated in communities around New Zealand. The issue however is that while these programs achieve short term gain there is relatively little follow through. Teenagers on these programs are largely left to fall back into old habits and without a very supportive family this is easy to do. This is not a criticism of cactus, just an observation of wider programs in this space.
I tend to look at things in pretty simple terms and ask myself what is the cause of teen crime and delinquency? Some say it is poverty, others colonialism, there are heaps of reasons given. I don’t buy most of them. From my perspective it is caused by sheer boredom combined with families who don’t give a damn. Fact is that kids and teenagers who are kept busy (regardless of economic background), with families who support them to stay busy, quite simply don’t have time to get into trouble.
I think that the community can play a huge role here, helping to keep wayward kids busy and dragging their parents along for the ride. It’s top of the cliff stuff, investing in the children, but I’m sure it will pay long term dividends.
Cactus and other programs play a huge part, but we need to then find a way of capitalizing on the turnaround achieved over the period of the program. Perhaps it’s a reinvention of scouts or the YMCA (repackaged for the youth of today). It could be based at the community Marae or the Community Centre, where there could be an ongoing bi-weekly 3pm to 5pm program which continues to foster the values taught at the more focused program. Monthly weekend adventures would be an adjunct and something to aim towards.
If we can capture the attention of these kids by way of an innovative program such as Cactus, providing them with a different view of the world but then motivate them long term keeping them busy and bringing their parents along for the ride then I genuinely believe we can achieve long term change.
Well done again to Cactus for your outstanding achievement. I’m looking forward to attending graduation in a few weeks time.
Congratulations Wairoa.
I just wanted to say that I think that it is absolutely fantastic that the Wairoa Community Development Trust was named Supreme Winner at the prestigious TrustPower National Community Awards.
I really love it when I see our community acknowledged on the National stage for outstanding achievement beyond the call of duty.
I am a big supporter of community initiatives which seek to show our children, our teenagers, a positive alternative and a genuine future. From my perspective community driven initiatives will always be far more effective than Government driven programs. So to Mick Lander, Jeremy Harker, District Mayor Les Probert, Makere Jones and the many others who support the project – well done and thank you.
My one concern about projects such as Cactus is that many of these initiatives last for just a few short weeks. Cactus is eight weeks. Many achieve a remarkable turnaround in a relatively short time frame. None more so than Cactus in Wairoa where there has been clear evidence of reduced youth offending. As proof of the success the project is now being replicated in communities around New Zealand. The issue however is that while these programs achieve short term gain there is relatively little follow through. Teenagers on these programs are largely left to fall back into old habits and without a very supportive family this is easy to do. This is not a criticism of cactus, just an observation of wider programs in this space.
I tend to look at things in pretty simple terms and ask myself what is the cause of teen crime and delinquency? Some say it is poverty, others colonialism, there are heaps of reasons given. I don’t buy most of them. From my perspective it is caused by sheer boredom combined with families who don’t give a damn. Fact is that kids and teenagers who are kept busy (regardless of economic background), with families who support them to stay busy, quite simply don’t have time to get into trouble.
I think that the community can play a huge role here, helping to keep wayward kids busy and dragging their parents along for the ride. It’s top of the cliff stuff, investing in the children, but I’m sure it will pay long term dividends.
Cactus and other programs play a huge part, but we need to then find a way of capitalizing on the turnaround achieved over the period of the program. Perhaps it’s a reinvention of scouts or the YMCA (repackaged for the youth of today). It could be based at the community Marae or the Community Centre, where there could be an ongoing bi-weekly 3pm to 5pm program which continues to foster the values taught at the more focused program. Monthly weekend adventures would be an adjunct and something to aim towards.
If we can capture the attention of these kids by way of an innovative program such as Cactus, providing them with a different view of the world but then motivate them long term keeping them busy and bringing their parents along for the ride then I genuinely believe we can achieve long term change.
Well done again to Cactus for your outstanding achievement. I’m looking forward to attending graduation in a few weeks time.
