A big festival destined for a small community will promote mental health, serve as an opportunity to remember loved ones and see in the New Year.
Tahawai Charitable Trust has launched its first New Year’s Eve festival, which celebrates youth and places a strong emphasis on promoting mental wellbeing and health.
Trust spokesperson Shaan Kingi says the organising team from Tuapiro Marae hope to uplift, inform and provide hope to youth and families by helping to equip them with “tools for ora(life).
“We have lost a number of people to suicide in our small community. Our goal with the Tahawai Festival is to create a space where rangatahi [youth] and their whānau [families] can come together to celebrate their culture, learn from one another and prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing. We want this event to be a source of strength and inspiration for our community.”
They wanted a festival that was authentic to their community, Shaan says.
