A Rotorua solo mum, who suffers from a disease that attacks her joints and some days her ability to walk, spent 18 months living in a motel with her three children.
But now, partly thanks to a programme run by the Ministry of Social Development and Central Kids Early Education,Jamie Ngariki is literally back on her feet and living in her own home.
The programme, Mātauranga Ake – More Than Education, has now seen 57 children who were living in emergency housing helped into early childhood education free of charge.
It meant three-year-old Te Whanarere was able to attend kindergarten for the first time - something which wasn't physically possible as his 34-year-old mum suffers from lupus and didn't have transport or the financial ability to get him there.
Mātauranga Ake not only offers free early childhood learning at any of the 10 Central Kids facilities in Rotorua, it also makes attending possible - from providing daily transport to providing shoes, bags and lunch boxes.
With more time on her hands to get her life back on track, Ngariki was able to achieve her goal of leaving the Volcanic Motel on Malfroy Rd in August last year and is now enjoying living in her own Housing New Zealand home in Western Heights. She hasn't had an attack on her joints from her lupus since New Year's Eve.
Jamie Ngariki with her son, Te Whanarere, 3, are thrilled to be out of emergency housing and in their own home. Photo / Andrew Warner
Her two older children, aged 14 and 15, were also loving their new life.
"My kids are a lot happier than they were before," says Ngariki. "Communication has now become key and they are opening up more."
Ngariki said some people living in the motels were taking advantage of the cheap rent and spending their money on "rubbish" such as drugs and alcohol.
Ngariki's weakness was to spend money she should have been saving on food or giving it to her fellow emergency housing tenants at the motel.
Through the Mātauranga Ake programme, Ngariki has connected with whānau navigator Dee Horne from Central Kids who has not only helped get her son enrolled in kindergarten but also deal with other challenges, including sticking to her new budget to ensure the rent, power and food bills get paid.
"Dee is a lifesaver ... She's my right-hand man for things I don't understand and she takes me to all my hospital and rheumatology appointments. I see her as my second mum. When I don't know who to go to I just ring her up."
The programme started in May last year and is gets $240,000 a year in funding, initially for two years.
Kylie McKee and Ange Hunt from Central Kids Early Education. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Central Kids executive leader Kylie McKee said the service employed a clinical lead, Ange Hunt, and two whānau navigators to work alongside homeless families with young children to reduce the barriers to stable housing.
McKee said the Ministry of Social Development referred whānau to Mātauranga Ake, who then worked with them to complete strengths-based assessments and develop goal plans.
"We are social workers, counsellors, taxi services, problem solvers, researchers, authors, personal coaches… and all the other mahi that supports the communities in which we live."
She said they lived and breathed the highs and lows and gained the trust of those they worked with to enable them to gently help achieve their goals.
"Our strength lies within our relationships across education, health and social services settings, and we know this multidimensional, layered approach is the only way to truly address the complex needs our families face."
Bay of Plenty Regional Commissioner for Social Development Mike Bryant said they knew living in a motel was not an ideal situation for families and they welcomed the partnership with Central Kids because children were their priorities.
"The work Central Kids is doing to support whānau in a proactive and positive manner goes a long way to ensuring a better future for their children."
Bryant said since the service began, 20 families had been placed into sustainable housing, 57 children had been connected into education, drug issues had been addressed by some whānau and budgeting advice and support had been provided.
