It's been a dream for nearly 10 years but now Rotorua's Chantelle Walker has a place where she can help "save" kids by letting them be kids.
Te Toa Matataki, a youth justice community home south of Rotorua, has officially opened its doors.
It will house up to five boys aged between 14 and 17 who are in trouble with the law but have nowhere else to go.
Te Toa Matataki will teach values and life skills, offering a different form of rehabilitation for young offenders whose crimes aren't so serious they need to be in a youth justice facility.
"They will get just the little things, be warm, safe and have food in their puku (stomach). Our space allows them to be a kid. Not a young person or a gang banger, just a kid."
"The most I have had is seven referrals in a day. We need another five homes just in this region alone."
A partnership between Tuakiri Charitable Trust, of which Ms Walker is the founder, and the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki, the approval was initially given in 2014.
Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss (red coat) and other dignitories are welcomed for the opening of Te Toa Matataki. Photo/Stephen Parker
Te Toa Matataki is set on 2.4ha in the Waikite Valley and employs nine staff, rostered around the clock.
There is a week-day programme covering life skills such as budgeting and communication, as well as meal preparation.
Drug and alcohol education is included, as well as fitness, tikanga Maori and health education. All young people are enrolled with Te Kura (Correspondence School), with staff supervising their learning.
On weekends they are on the farm, learning to care for animals and maintain a garden, planning for the week ahead and sharing kai with whanau if appropriate.
Chantelle Walker is supported during the pohiri for her new facility by Western Heights Primary School students, where her children, Tiari, 9, and Romin, 10, attend. Photo/Stephen Parker
Ministry chief executive Grainne Moss said it was great to see a community-based home that provided a holistic programme of rehabilitation for young people.
"We hope this will be the first of many community partnerships of this nature, because we all have a role to play in the wellbeing of our kids."
She said the opening of the home was a credit to the tenacity of Ms Walker, whose passion for young people had driven her to fulfil her dream.
"Chantelle persevered through the lengthy ministry processes, which unfortunately contributed to a delay in the opening of Te Toa Matataki. We will work to ensure other services like this can get up and running as quickly as possible."
Ms Walker said she was close to tears at yesterday's official opening at Tarewa Pounamu Marae.
She acknowledged the community for helping her get to this stage, including Maatua Whangai/Te Roopu a Iwi o Te Arawa, a Te Arawa-based iwi social service, which had also provided her with an office space and allowed her to use the marae for day programme activities.
She said the Rotorua youth justice sector had provided immense support and belief in her and funding from the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust allowed her to open the home in a limited capacity in December.
At yesterday's pohiri, the welcoming party was boosted with support from Western Heights Primary School pupils, where Ms Walker's children Romin, 10, and Tiari, 9, go to school.
She said her children, including her 20-year-old daughter Jahnte, had lived and breathed her dream with her and it was fitting they were there.
She said she had already seen changes in the young people who had been at Te Toa Matataki since December.
"For me, it's all about the eyes. You see that glimmer of hope but you also see it when they have lost it. Their eyes go dark ... I see that glimmer of hope when they leave."
