Pink balloons for Jhia

CHILDREN waving pink balloons danced and twirled at a Wanganui home yesterday in a celebration of the life of their cousin and friend, Jhia Harmony Te Tua.
The two-year-old died on May 5 a year ago, after she was struck in the chest by a bullet from a high-powered rifle during a drive-by shooting at her Wanganui home.
A celebration and service in memory of the little girl was organised by Wanganui Black Power.
Black Power leader Kat said everyone in the community was still hurting badly.
"It's so hard to understand and hard to come to terms with the death of one of our babies. We are all fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and we love our mokopuna. Our children are precious to us. We are good fathers here."
Black Power members had worked over the weekend, preparing for the special memorial day.
They had transformed the back of the toddler's great-grandfather's home (Chris Te Tua) by setting up two large marquees with tables and chairs, pink and white streamers and masses of pink balloons had been hung from the ceilings. Each child had been given a pink balloon with a long, pink ribbon.
A massive hangi had been cooked and was dished up by the members while music played in the garage, where dozens of small children danced, jumped and laughed.
Kat said time had passed so quickly since Jhia died and that most of the community found it hard to believe that it was actually a year ago.
"We are very sad. Some of us are still full of anger, but we are working through it. We are brothers and sisters, we are whanau. We are all about the whanau concept. Sure, we are called a gang, but not by us. We are a brotherhood."
The day for Jhia began yesterday at 11am with a memorial service led by her great-grandfather in the room in the Puriri St house where she had died 12 months before. A second service was held at the kohanga reo, where Jhia loved to play and talk with her small friends, who sang in her memory together with their teachers.
After a cuppa and biscuits more than 60 people headed off to the hangi.
A family member (name withheld) said she remembers vividly the day Jhia died.
"It's still crystal clear, right from that morning to the next day. I won't forget it minute by minute ever."
The day had begun with the toddler's older cousins, aged 10 to 14, going to collect her and take her back to an uncle's house nearby, where they were all staying the night.
"But little Jhia was sniffly that day with a cold, and her mum decided she would better to stay at home and lie quietly on the couch, wrapped in a rug," the woman said. The news of Jhia's death later that night had all but annihilated her young cousins.
"They cried and cried and cried for hours. There was nothing we could do. These kids really suffered and they are still deeply affected by her death. Today was very good, though. They needed this."
Jhia's name was on everyone's lips yesterday.
"She belonged to all of us. She was our baby girl. There is a lot of healing to be done. We are whanau. We will work together," said Kat.