Trust meant to fill the cultural void

By JON STOKES

The Whanau o Waipareira Trust opened in 1984 after years of lobbying by Maori leaders eager to provide social and educational opportunities to the large numbers of rural Maori who flocked to West Auckland in the 1950s and 1960s.

The initiative was seen as a means of filling the cultural void that confronted the mainly rural Maori who settled in the area, chasing the prospect of work and perceived health and educational benefits for themselves and their families.

But the absence of extended family networks and the unfamiliarity with the new urban surroundings saw a number of social issues hit the Maori community.

With growing crime, family violence and unemployment, welfare-driven initiatives had difficulty reaching the relatively new development.

It was envisaged that the trust would provide social support to Maori from Maori.

What started as predominantly a training centre soon expanded into a social service provider, including health and educational training and Maori economic development.

What also emerged was a structure struggling to find consensus among the pan-tribal groupings it represented, and to attract the calibre of trustees and managers required to drive the multi-faceted social organisation.

The trust's more than 15,000 representatives are represented by a 15-member board. It employs more than 200 people and works from 10 premises in West and South Auckland, providing services including health, training and education, residential and rehabilitation programmes and youth support services.

It has assets of more than $12 million. The bulk of the funding comes from more than $7 million annually in government contracts.