Hawke’s Bay rangatahi invited to speak in Alice Springs, Australia, as indigenous bonds celebrated

MokoBoys never stopped helping Hawke’s Bay’s kaumātua (elders) after many were left isolated during Cyclone Gabrielle, and now the group’s story of indigenous excellence is set to be shared on the world stage. The volunteer project championed by Hawke’s Bay rangatahi/youth programme Toi Matarua has become an inspiring social enterprise, so much so that the Lego Foundation has invited the team to speak at a special hui in Alice Springs in Australia. Mitchell Hageman reports.

Who would’ve thought that those small, coloured bricks with dents that click together are partly responsible for helping Hawke’s Bay rangatahi take on the world.

The Lego Foundation clearly “clicked” on to the fact Hawke’s Bay-based MokoBoys have some valuable knowledge to share with other indigenous communities.

The foundation has funded 12 of the MokoBoys crew to travel to Australia to speak at an indigenous hui in Alice Springs in August.

“Lego, based in Denmark, fund all these global partners who work with indigenous children. They are funding us to go and speak,” MokoBoys facilitator Charlizza Matehe told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“It’s around resilience and positive things that young people are doing around the world. The MokoBoys have been approached as young people who are doing really cool things in their community and giving back.”

Matehe has been involved in MokoBoys since its inception and said it had blossomed into a prime example of a programme by rangatahi for rangatahi.

“They started this kaupapa pretty much on their own without being bribed or influenced by adults. They just wanted to do something positive in their community after the cyclone, and it’s obviously getting some pretty good attention, even overseas.

“We saw during the cyclone that many of our elders were living alone and missing out on services because they were isolated. Our young people took it upon themselves to connect with those elders, and it just carried on and never ended.”

It started off as voluntary, but, due to the support of fundraising and Toi Matarua, the rangatahi now get paid for their work, which includes mowing kaumātua’s lawns, cleaning their whare, and helping with their māra kai/vege gardens.

“Because we don’t charge our elders for the service, we’ve created a kawakawa balm, which acts as the social enterprise of the initiative and is what funds everything,” Matehe said.

The hui in Alice Springs lasts a week plus travel time. For some MokoBoys, it will be the first time they have been overseas.

Fundraising from the kawakawa balm will help fund some extra experiences afterwards.

“On the other side of the trip, we’re taking them to do some fun stuff, so things like Movie World and that,” Matehe said.

MokoBoys hosted members of the Pertame tribe from Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. Photo / Charlizza Matehe

A key part of the hui will involve discussions with other indigenous communities in Australia. For the MokoBoys, this has already started when the group received an offer to host an Aboriginal tribe.

“We had about 10 indigenous people from the Pertame tribe. They have started the first language nest in all of Australia because their language is severely endangered.

“They only have 20 speakers left in Australia who speak this indigenous language.”

Pertame belongs to the country around the Finke and Hugh rivers, 110km south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

They are basing their nest off New Zealand’s kohanga reo model.

“It was great to be able to show them the possibilities of their mission and that if they don’t give up, they can make these huge strides in not only revitalising their language, but also their culture,” Matehe said.

The groups continue to keep in touch with their Aboriginal whānau, with letters revealing the true scope of the bond.

“Always be grateful your family chose to raise you in your culture and language; it is what gives us indigenous boys strength,” Peter Kireka said.

People can help MokoBoys with their Alice Springs hui by purchasing kawakawa balm. Contact toimatarua.com/maku or email maku@toimatarua.co.nz

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.