An update by Lead Social Innovator, Joe Wilson
The last few months have been a combination of exciting, frustrating and incredible. I have been producing, editing, researching, writing, planning and getting the people involved in the latest stories ready, prepared and organized to share and release their inspiring stories and kaupapa with us at Lots of little fires.
Te Toi Ora Ki Whaingaroa
The latest release this month was the story of Te Toi Ora. This kaupapa included the integrated outreach clinics and the kaumatua rōpu based in rural marae on the west coast of the Waikato. The challenges and time it takes to build the whanaunga, trust and understanding for stories such as this are numerous, however the end result when it is released, is always so appreciated by the people who choose to step up so bravely and share their kōrero.
The organic share Te Toi Ora has had on social media shows how much the whanau vested in the kaupapa are proud of and grateful to be seen, valued and understood for what they do.
Mike Edmonds, who is the general manager of the kaupapa, has recently returned from Australia where he has been meeting with and sharing insights and learnings with the Aboriginal Health leader and organizations who are leading similar kaupapa and systemic change for indigenous healthcare. The video story we have captured for them has been an incredibly valuable asset for him to share widely the kaupapa, to share what exceptional bottom-up practice looks like and to push for more equitable change in our current political climate and historically unjust government led healthcare system.
I look forward to seeing the views on YouTube increase over the next month but more importantly to seeing how the story continues to awhi the kaupapa in its growth and development.
Landlord and Transitional Housing Collaboration for Young Mums
As is the nature of working between and across many different sectors of society, bringing people together, creating safe environments for them all and at times and dates that match very busy people and those often-carrying trauma and trust issues is not easy!
The exciting story of Twenty 20 Sustainable Housing linking with a private landlord and developing the first ever fully supported transitional whare and kainga for whaea rangatahi who are pregnant or with baby/child is finally being filmed this Friday 26 September. After three attempts to get everyone together on the same day and cancelled film shoots, we are hopeful that this time we can get this incredible social change story, that came about directly as a result from LOLF, captured in the way that does this amazing collaboration justice. I will keep you updated.
Manaaki Rangatahi Ki Waikato…Ending Youth Homelessness
On Tuesday 25th September, we filmed and shot one of my favourite stories yet. This is the kaupapa of collective impact of social sector organizations coming together to enact systems change to end youth homelessness.
Having worked in and around the youth development and social sectors for a long time here in the Waikato, I have been able to slowly and gradually follow this movement and build absolute trust with the most incredible collective of sector change makers. These are not merely advocates, they are so ‘no bull shit, make shit happen’ staunch professionals with years and years of deep front-line experience. This is desperately needed to make sure that policy makers and their decisions are far better informed by people actually experiencing the issues at hand, and that the policies and funding decisions made actually make a difference.
This collective have already managed to reverse the new ‘place based transitional housing policy’ implemented by the government, which was a great result and showed the power of grass root community. We are so lucky to have access to these stories and to being able to be the ones who get to capture and share them. This video will play a huge part in trying to reverse the decision by the government to cut the $20 million promised for youth transitional housing. I am looking forward to getting into the edit of this story.
Taurikura - Creating Places, Spaces and Kōrero Around What It Means to be Tangata Tiriti
Kawena Jones and Kirsty Barber run a kaupapa called Taurikura. They lead cultural capability training and live and breathe what it means to be a Māori and Pākeha thriving together in Aotearoa. The story is going to be simply beautiful and we have had a planning session that has led us to decide that holding the kōrero on Oomaero Paa, the Marae that was built with the intention of creating a space where Māori and tau iwi could come together and build understanding, empathy, cultural unity and respect will be the perfect place.
This really is the underlying story of a nation that has never come to terms with the beautiful opportunity and potential that exists here for indigenous and tau iwi to grow together and thrive like no other colonized country has achieved. It is also incredibly timely with the current kōrero and debate about the role of Te Tiriti and the Treaty principles in New Zealand. I look forward to filing this video on October 16th.
LOLF and Ara Taiohi Collaboration
With recent discussions with Ara Taiohi, the peak body for Youth Development in Aotearoa, we are looking to partner and share with them the stories we have captured on positive youth development. This is to help support the national kōrero and advocacy of the youth sector so that we can collectively fight against the cuts and structural and systemic barriers that continuously hamstring effective mahi at the frontline service level for our rangatahi. This is a great opportunity to spread the stories of LOLF to a national audience and build the scope of the kaupapa, finding more supportive partners to grow the kaupapa and its potential to enact systems change at all levels. I will keep you updated on this.
