"We felt an initiative like Te Kaharoa could help open their eyes to new possibilities while providing another avenue of support where required.
"Doing it online was important because that's the way most young people engage with others these days. It's an easy way to create a safe space for them to be themselves.
"We've had great feedback so far and are excited to see where the next few months take us."
Te kaharoa o te kupenga o Pōhurihanga is the origin of the iwi Ngāti Kaha, now known as Ngāti Kurī, who is named after a net that was used to catch seals.
The kaharoa is the head rope, or float line, of the net.
Pōhurihanga was the captain of the Kurahaupō canoe, which became wrecked on the Kermadec Island, north of The Three Kings.
Pōhurihanga used the nets to repair the broken canoe to continue its journey to Muriwhenua, Aotearoa.
Smith said the story of kaharoa was a meaningful metaphor for the mahi behind the programme.
"This kaupapa is all about strength, resilience, innovation, creativity and overall unity in these uncertain times of Covid-19," Smith said.
"It is also about a transition into the online digital world and using technology in a modern and positive context for Taiohi."
Each month Te Kaharoa picks a particular theme to focus on and runs a monthly competition relating to a particular topic.
Taiohi are challenged to send in entries relating to each month's competition, with entries judged by Muriwhenua experts in that particular field and prizes awarded to the top three entries.
The first month's competition challenged Taiohi to create a video of themselves sourcing kai (food), be it through fishing, he māra kai (food gardening), foraging etc.
Rutene Smith won the first prize for January with a video of him and his dad using a torpedo to catch fish at a remote Far North beach.
He managed to produce a video that has now been viewed more than 10,000 times and shared across a number of social media platforms.
Rutene said he was pleased he took the time to do the video as it had been a buzz seeing the reaction from others to his video.
"At first I was a bit shy, but then I saw the prize was a fishing kayak and thought that looked pretty good, so I recorded a video of myself fishing with my dad," Smith said.
"I went through the process of using a torpedo, then edited it all with TikTok and did a little voiceover and managed to win, which was pretty cool.
"I got heaps of good feedback and remember seeing a conversation between two guys who were really excited about my video, which made me laugh and was cool to see."
In addition to the monthly competitions, each month a local entrepreneur or public figure conducts a weekly "takeover" of Te Kaharoa's social media stories, filming 'a day in the life' series featuring videos at their place of mahi (work).
This aims to help provide an insight into what different people are doing in the Far North, with Te Kaharoa's first-ever "takeover" produced by House of Hiwa nail salon owners Esta Bassett (Te Rarawa/Ngāti Kahu) and Michaela Riwai (Ngāti Kuri/Te Rarawa), who also work for Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa.
Bassett and Riwai said it was knowing the potential positive impact their stories could have on local Taiohi that motivated them to get involved.
"We thought if we do this, more people are going to be able to see what we do every day and understand that you do have to work hard to reach your goals," Bassett said.
"Hopefully that can help motivate our young people and give them a push to follow their own dreams."
"A lot of people haven't been exposed to different ways of thinking about mahi, so they think they have to work in jobs at the local supermarket or whatever," Riwai said.
"Hopefully, through these videos, we can show young people there are so many different opportunities out there. The team at Te Kaharoa are here to support those goals."
To find out more, search 'Te Kaharoa' on Facebook or Instagram.
