Gumboot Friday's Northland founder encourages whānau to uplift each other

Reporter·Northern Advocate·

6 Apr, 2020 12:00 AM3 mins to read

Pouto woman Joesephine Nathan is the founder of Gumboot Friday. Photo / Supplied

Uplift each other and take care of your spirit and mind is the message from Northland founder of Gumboot Friday to people during the Covid-19 lockdown.

April 3 marked Gumboot Friday - a kaupapa taken on by comedian and mental health campaigner Mike King, who encouraged New Zealanders to don gumboots to work or school and raise money for counselling services on demand for teens.

Gumboot Friday looked a little different this year and donations were not the focus because of the Covid-19 lockdown, but there were still important messages to share.

Pouto woman Joesephine Nathan, the founder of Gumboot Friday, said it was not the right time to askfor money but it was the right time to ask whānau to look out for one another.

"Let's pull each other together as opposed to donations," she said.

Nathan said the Gumboot Friday concept was inspired by her father, who died of a heart attack aged 57.

"The whakapapa for the kaupapa was my love for my father and understanding how depression impacted on him. When he had his gumboots on and he was out on the farm he was a very different man.

"When he didn't have his gumboots on we saw a really different side and it was when his depression showed."

Originally the idea was for people to wear their gumboot to school or work for a charity or cause.

"The whole concept behind the gumboot was that it was my safety net.

"We need to uplift each other during this time of need. Learn a karakia with the whānau, this is one way of maintaining a sense of connection and keeping your wairua [spirit] and hinengaro [mind] intact."

Comedian-turned-mental health campaigner Mike King went ahead with his Gumboot Friday charity appeal, focusing more on the message than the money.

King pressed on with the Gumboot Friday charity appeal despite the Covid-19 outbreak. King said its aim and message was been tempered by recent events and took place largely on Facebook, focusing on "the message this year, not money".

"It would be poor form on our part to emotionally blackmail people to give at the moment. Donate responsibly, you can do it online, but there are other ways to help. Our focus is now on connecting with kids," he said.