Ana Apatu: Marae needs financial support

Salvation Army Major Annette Garrett

There are many people associated with Te Aranga Marae. Spiritual resonance, a safe venue where people can connect and both offer support and draw on support. Financially the marae runs at a loss. Where can we find some more funds? Juggling venues as a back-up is ongoing. At times Pam has to cancel well-paid bookings for tangi which always takes precedence over other activities.

Most marae in the region will be struggling financially. The cost of compliance, fire alarms, sprinkler systems and ongoing checks to ensure Te Aranga is compliant is crippling. Meetings are held across the rohe as He Toa Takatini - Treaty of Waitangi appointed representatives for Taiwhenua Heretaunga (Hastings district) and Te Taiwhenua Tamatea (Central Hawke's Bay) acting on our behalf, finalise the first stage of the treaty settlements.

The agreement in principle. Some funding will be provided to marae but apparently Te Aranga Marae is not whakapapa based so initial marae, representation from Te Aranga is discluded. There is acknowledgement from some however that Te Aranga should be included "let's be inclusive" were the words I heard from someone.

As discussed, there are so many interesting people associated with the marae. Retiring Major Annette Garrett Salvation Army, Flaxmere has been an officer with the Sallies for 28 years. She has been based in Porirua, Mt Roskill Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch. I asked whether she has set priorities during her time working with communities.

She describes having only one set period where she had to support and mentor young officers. She feels that the success of her role has been that she has taken the time to engage with communities to find out what the actual need of the community is.

Her experience includes managing emergency housing and food banks. Her role in Flaxmere has mainly been a pastoral role. Her background study has been in social work and addictions. Her placement in Flaxmere has been for seven years.

She shares with me that she has focused on working with families versus just working with the addict. If families start to look after themselves and set boundaries the result is better. Rather than build the organisation build people.

Her programme is based on culture and faith. Nine pou provides a framework which allows those on the programme to find out what connects with them and why. She describes her pastoral role as walking with people in their pain. It moves people from surviving to thriving. People make contact with Annette mainly through personal contact versus referral.

Sometimes people arrive in a desperate state. When asked what the major contributors to this desperation is, she believes that not having a job and a decent home is the cause of most of the problems she sees. Addiction can be treated after sorting through these major hurdles.

What Annette tries to achieve is healing which she believes requires intimacy. She notes family traits and personalities - who work hard and play hard. Annette comments that society as a whole needs scapegoats and unfortunately Flaxmere does draw a reputation.

When asked to reflect on the changes she has seen over the years she replies how she loves the way Henare puts the responsibility back onto the community - "What are you going to do about it?" She has noticed younger gang members who have come to Flaxmere to live run out of bail addresses in Auckland. There are more older Mongrel Mob families. She believes strongly that housing is something that particularly affects Flaxmere, especially the high numbers of rentals and a high proportion of Flaxmere people who just make do with these houses.

She believes young people have such a good opportunity, particularly with the quality of the schools and in particular notes Louise Anaru, the principal of Flaxmere College. Young people are the investments that matter in a community.

Major Annette Garrett's last day is Sunday, December 14. When asked where she will retire to, she offers a wry smile.

"I am off the Kapiti coast. It is too flat for me here. I want to be close to the sea.

"I look forward to taking time to do the things I love - gardening, writing and painting."

Her last words to me were to wish us luck with our Flaxmere housing proposal.

-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere.