June Tomoana passed away - aged 87. Her family tells me she was born June 1, named June and her life ended in June. Tofa soifua.
But the saddest of all is the young people from Flaxmere who take their lives. My heart goes out to those families and friends. How can we tell these young people we care for them, that they are our future, there are so many good things we want them to experience, to give them hope for their future - to embrace them? Suicide is such a big topic.
At a tangi last week, I stand next to a principal from one of the Flaxmere primary schools. Shocked by these latest events, we discuss how, because of the frequency, it feels as if suicide has become normalised by young people of Flaxmere.
Controversy surrounds the topic of suicide. Keep the topic under wraps. Don't discuss suicide. But how do we learn or try to heal and understand? People look to my mate, Henare O'Keefe, for a solution. Wise words - we just keep going with what we are doing, Ana.
One activity is our community garden. Gary Barclay, our head gardener, cares for our Te Aranga Marae community garden and wants to share some words this week.
Mahi tahi "we all need to work together" is the motto from Mataura Primary School where he was a student in Murihiku. Gary has been with Te Aranga Marae for four years. His journey began with a horticulture course in September 2011. He resides in Flaxmere and tells me he would not live anywhere else.
One of his greatest joys is the interaction with school groups. We have had Twyford School, Iona College, Lindisfarne College, Woodford House Hastings Intermediate, Kimi Ora schools visit so far this year. This provides an opportunity to teach the joys of growing and eating nutritious foods.
Gary has seen families struggle with the cost of living. The garden has grown from three plots to six plots in the time he has been here. We have planted 12,000 seedlings this year .
We have been fortunate to receive bins of surplus food from John Bostock, Apatu Farms, Kevin Bayley and Bruce Newman. They also help with equipment to turn the soil. Gary says he has always liked helping people. Corrections have been fantastic this year too. The garden was set up to provide an opportunity for working together.
The Jarmie Army. I say to my partners, Plunket Tamariki Ora nurses, and those who donate money, that this is our first year so there is a lot of learning. Yes, we are Flaxmere-based but stories of five children in Maraenui - all with respiratory problems - means we are grateful for any support. We have been to all primary schools with a Kimi Ora purchase this week. Families and teachers tell us thermals and tracksuits are more practical so children can wear them at night and during the day. But the children want pyjamas. And some have never owned a pair.
Some comment they are surprised people care enough to buy them some. Perhaps a simple act of "giving a little" will help our young people recognise they are precious and that we do care for them.
-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere
