‘Culturally competent’: How a Hastings building company is helping Māori, community

The Manzis Build team led by owners Henare and Arana Waapu (centre, in white shirt and black dress) at the awards night. Also pictured is Hawke's Bay Today editor Chris Hyde (third from left) who presented the award.

A Hastings-based building company with a strong focus on supporting Māori is fast growing a reputation for repairing homes for those most in need.

Couple Henare and Arana Waapu started Manzis Build in Auckland but shifted to Hawke’s Bay with their young family - and business - in February 2020.

Despite the challenges of a pandemic, it has gone from strength to strength in the Bay and was the only company to be named as a finalist two years running at the 2021 and 2022 Hawke’s Bay Business Awards.

The company picked up the NZME Outstanding Community Contribution Award at the awards ceremony on Friday.

Their work training and mentoring Māori builders and fixing up homes for people in high need received high praise from the judges.

Arana said one of the highlights since moving to the region was working with families and improving their living conditions.

“I do think it is incredibly rewarding when we walk in at the end [of a job] and you get to hear stories of, say, a nan who was unable to get in the shower because it was a bath, and so she would just sit there with a bucket and wash [until we improved the bathroom].

“We have had whanau out in Wairoa in a relocatable home and a bathroom never got put in, and they washed out on the balcony for seven years, and we put a bathroom in their home.

“We have had kids who have been zapped in their homes because the electrics have been touched up by an uncle - there is a lot of DIY stuff because people are just trying to improvise - so to be able to go in and say this house is now electrically safe, it is incredibly rewarding.”

She said they did not judge any clients and they worked hard to be “culturally competent”.

“I could not be more proud of my team in the way they manage whanau and their understanding towards their situation. We do put emphasis on being culturally competent - and that is not just by race that is by being able to understand what people go through in their own lives.”

The company has tripled in size since starting out in Hawke’s Bay, and now has 12 staff, all of whom are Māori .