Reap and sow

It can be hard to keep up with the plethora of community groups in any given region. Most are voluntary and few are in the wider public eye. Indeed, even if they do exemplary good works (and they do) some groups are so local no-one's heard of them outside of their own backyard.

This arguably applies to REAP, based in Kaitaia and covering the Te Hiku region from Matauri Bay to north Hokianga. They run a very extensive programme of community education and good works but ask someone from Opua or Kerikeri what REAP is and they'd look at you quizzically. In fact this is one of the longest-established organisations working for youth in the Far North.

REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) started in Kaitaia in 1979 as one of 13 national programmes funded by the Ministry of Education and TEC (Tertiary Education Commission) in schools in rural areas with a population base of less than 20,000.

"REAP provides community development and education solutions based on the needs of the rural communities," says Ian Swindells, REAP Far North Chief Executive.

"This is in addition to a community education contract which now focuses on priority learners, Maori and Pacific learners whose first efforts at education haven't been successful," he says.

The programmes cover a wide spectrum of education from preparing for work (Taupo Bay), supporting kaumatua raising mokopuna (Te Hapua, Pawarenga, Whatawhiwhi and Kaitaia), the 'Incredible Years' programme for parents in Kaitaia, supporting early childhood centres in the region and road safety initiatives in the Far North targeting that most vulnerable group in terms of death and accident - 18 - 24-year-old males.

There's also a pragmatic approach. Part of the programme currently in operation includes, for instance, driver licensing, information technology and career planning. There are workshops covering suicide prevention and sexual violence and to demonstrate it's not all heavy and serious subjects, traditional Maori instrument workshops (Taonga puoro) are conducted across the region.

Mr Swindells says much of the work in 2014 so far has been focussed on greater collaboration with what he calls 'the youth space' between agencies - as a sort of liaison go-between.

"By developing a collaborative model we have been successful in working with youth and for youth, resulting in a highly successful programme of events around youth week and SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving) which has been successful in attracting a significant amount of funding to support youth projects."

The necessary funding comes from a myriad of government agencies and Far North District Council.