Like most Kiwis, I had been reading about the Te Puea Memorial Marae in Mangere becoming an epicentre for care and housing of the city’s homeless and most vulnerable. Arriving there and being a part of a “hui” was another experience altogether. But first, the backstory.

Last month, the Counties Manukau Police initiated a pilot in extending their support to make a difference by breaking down barriers and closing the gaps that may exist between the South Asian communities and the larger community by offering to support the Marae in its current work. An initial meeting was held between the Marae administration and representatives of the community led by Sergeant Gurpreet Arora to assess areas where most support was needed. That done, a meeting was called where all community leaders were invited to participate in a brainstorming session. About 15 enthusiastic representatives attended and a core group was formed.

Subsequent consultations and meetings suggested that the Marae was to undergo a redevelopment that is to start in September and therefore the families currently housed at the Marae would need to be transitioned to alternative supported accommodation by the end of August. This meant that the proposed pilot was to run from July 10 for the next six to eight weeks. The main area of required support was to provide meals for the 70–80 members currently housed at the Marae and about 30 volunteers at any given time. Support was also required with cooking meals onsite as even though the Marae has ample supplies, they need the help of chefs and helpers to prepare meals. As this was put before the community, offers of help to provide cooked meals and volunteers to prepare meals onsite started to emerge. This has caught more momentum since and we understand that there is now a waitlist of people who have offered help and support. As a result, the core committee was able to make committed offers of help to the Marae administration.

This brings us to July 11 where a small number of community members, all leaders in their own right, gathered outside the Te Puea Marae awaiting induction and the start to a landmark project that was poised to improve the people-to-people connection within our communities. Supporting the community on behalf of the Police were Inspector Watty, Sergeant Arora and Constable Sen. It was impressive to see how well managed the entire operation at the Marae was. We had a volunteer who inducted us and gave us our visitor tags. We then met the Marae Chair Hurimoana Dennis and Operations Manager Mona, who walked us to the main grounds of the Marae. As we walked along, several volunteers dressed in high viz jackets and beaming with warm smiles welcomed us.

As we were welcomed on to the Wharenui, one had goosebumps at the warm people-to-people exchange that was about to unfold. Hurimoana welcomed us and gave a brief on how the Marae had opened its doors to the vulnerable families this winter. He described how it is not by choice that most people find themselves there but the helplessness of seeing their children suffer. He described how prior to being housed at the Marae, some families had been living in cars and children completing their homework on the street. One could hear the satisfaction in his voice when he said that till date they had been able to support numerous Maori families, 118 Pacific people and 18 ethnic families. With a tinge of pride, he added that those who had found homes and had moved on were now coming back to help as volunteers. He stated that the Marae does not discriminate and people of all cultures and religions were welcome. Perhaps that is the reason that the Marae sees so much support coming forth from all around.

In a historic moment, the Maori blessing was followed by ardaas (Sikh blessing), thus truly bringing together cultures that so willingly accept each other. Warmth and care filled the air and the message was loud and clear: "We care and we are right beside you." It was then time to hand over our offerings of jackets, shoes, nutritional drinks for children, other items and a commitment to providing five meals a week. These were received with gratitude and appreciation for the entire community.

The past few months have seen a growing number of burglaries and thefts targeting the South Asian community. It is felt that at the core of this lies the misconception that South Asians are only interested in themselves. We work hard, save money, but only earn and save for ourselves. This pilot was a big step in dispelling this myth and claiming loud and clear that we believe in supporting our communities and supporting humanity. When we arrive here to make New Zealand our home and find better lives for ourselves, we believe in giving back and contributing to the community we live in. Donations of food, clothing and a commitment of five meals a week for our fellow citizens, families and children who are currently housed at the Marae along with meals for the volunteers was what came out of this first “hui”. It was a successful initiative by the Counties Manukau Police to enhance collaboration, understanding, trust and respect among different community groups and supported by members of Counties Manukau District South Asian Advisory Board members with a special mention to Parminder Singh who was recently appointed to the Board, along with the members of the larger Indian community. We hope that this spirit of supporting the vulnerable gains further momentum. If you wish to be a part of such projects in the future, please send your expression of interest to editor@indianweekender.co.nz