Online buddies meet in person

A local web-based buddy system is helping children from Flaxmere and Havelock North break down stereotypes in their communities.
Connecting Kids was the brainchild of Flaxmere-born Henare O'Brien, who now lives and works in Havelock North.
"I used to live in Flaxmere and I live in Havelock North now," Mr O'Brien said. "I had this vision that two guys would be walking down the street, one guy with dreadlocks and one guy in a suit, and they'd go 'hey, it's my buddy'."
He said the programme used a web-based wiki - an interactive website - to unite 280 children from Irongate and Flaxmere Schools with students' at Havelock North Primary School.
Recently the children met their buddies for the first time during a fun day at Splash Planet, and Mr O'Brien said the feedback from the event had been "fantastic".
"The children had a fantastic day connecting to their friends from within Hawkes Bay's wider community ... celebrating connecting with others from communities in Hastings was great."
Havelock North student Peti Fox-Reo, 8, said the buddy-programme had introduced her to a lot of new friends.
"We can communicate with lots of other people ... and they're not boys," she said.
Classmate Bailey Campbell, 8, agreed: "I just like being friends with other people from other schools - it's awesome."
Irongate school student Myer Crawford-Pakoti, 10, said the programme showed how few differences there were between the often-contrasted Hawke's Bay communities.
"I like getting to know one another - we are all the same," she said.
Myer's mother and teacher at Irongate School, Kate Crawford, said the programme sent important messages to the younger generation.
"Myer just said it was interesting how people give her sideways looks when she says where she's from, but when they all met they were just the same.
"She'll be on the computer every night talking with her buddies from Havelock ... she says 'it doesn't matter where we come from or what we do, we're all kids'."
Mr O'Brien's wife and co-organiser, Kate O'Brien, said she was impressed how the programme was teaching children to think about other people.
"There was a game called 'acts of kindness', where they did something nice for someone and wrote it on a piece of paper," she said. "At the end of the day the box was overflowing. Even after the prizes were drawn they kept putting their bits of paper in." Hastings District Council Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers was one of a raft of councillors who attended the Splash Planet event, and she said it was "absolutely wonderful".
Mr O'Brien said the programme was made possible by the Hawks, Flaxmere Family Fun, Splash Planet, ClearImage Design and Print, HRV, Tremains, Peak Vision Church, Culture Flow and the Hastings District Council.
Connecting Kids is seeking volunteers and contributors. Contact Henare O'Brien by email at hhobrien23@hotmail.com.