When she moved to Whanganui from Auckland a couple of years ago, Mel Shaw was convinced that she would stop working in adult education.
Shaw worked for Adult Literacy Tamaki Auckland, but didn't think she would get a similar job in Whanganui. Also, obtaining funding was getting increasingly difficult.
Her work in Whanganui began at the Citizens Advice Bureau before she was approached by Community Education Whanganui (CEW) with an offer she couldn't resist.
"I was asked to help develop an education programme out at the prison, we started future directions where we would teach employment, law and job skills," Shaw says.
"We loved it, so we started growing the programme and now we do raranga traditional Māori weaving, creative writing, guitar lessons, sketching and more."