Māori Women’s Refuge Taupō house manager - Pou Whirinaki - Jaymin (left) and Kaimanaaki Whanau (activities coordinator) Te Rehua are hoping for a brighter future for the safehouse they support. Photo: Dan Hutchinson
The operators of a safehouse in Taupō for women and children to escape family violence are hoping to add a little bit of cheer to their surroundings.
By Dan Hutchinson
The Māori Women’s Refuge caters for up to four families at a time in the four-bedroom house and families use it for a combined 500-1000 nights each year.
Refuge spokesperson Trina Marama says they are hoping to improve the landscaping out the back of the house to make it more enjoyable for families.
"They don't want to be here; they want to be home with Dad regardless that it's violent.
"They feel lost, they've left everything behind — school, friends, everything. And they've come in here and they come out here,” Trina says, gesturing to the barren backyard with an assortment of aging play equipment.
She has started a campaign to raise donations of money, materials and labour for what she estimates is otherwise a $60,000 landscaping project.
She wants the backyard to become "somewhere that's therapeutic, calming for all the family,” but they need help to get there.
"We'd love a landscaper. I have no foresight. I can't see things. We'd like someone to say, 'Oh, that swing would look good there’, or ‘a good garden would look good there’.'"
Demand typically rises in the weeks after Christmas, when financial pressure from holiday spending contributes to an increase in family violence.
Safety is the main consideration when planning the landscaping. With lots of young children housed there, water features and elevated structures are off the table, although a spa remains a dream for Trina.
“For when they come in with their aches and pains. Something for them to soak in when they've got their ailing bodies.”
The property is rented, so any improvements need to be made with relocation in mind should the refuge move to a new site.
Trina says they have made some early drawings of things they would like, such as quiet sitting areas in the garden, equipment for the children to play on, and shaded areas like a covered pergola.
The backyard is a generous sized area, with plum and feijoa trees and plenty of scope to create private spaces.
What they need is landscaping expertise and donations of materials.
"These are my dreams for our whānau," Trina says.
Jaymin, who facilitates the tamariki programme at the refuge, picks children up from school and takes them to activities based on what they want to do — whether that's heading to the park or the lake. The children, she says, are the ones who set the agenda.
"They're the boss of our time together.”
Having a welcoming outdoor space at the refuge itself would add another option — somewhere the tamariki could simply be, without needing to go anywhere.
To inquire about helping with the project, email dan@tauponews.co.nz and we can put you in touch.