An urban Maori trust has opened its doors to a new group of rangatahi aiming to clean up their lives and steer clear of drugs including methamphetamine, synthetic cannabis, alcohol and cigarettes.
Photo: RNZ
On Wednesday morning, eight young people between the ages of 14 and 17 were welcomed to the Rongo Atea residential treatment programme run by Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa in Hamilton.
Programme co-ordinator Ian Wood says its 12 step programme runs for 10-weeks, and it reflects on drug-use, behaviour, and helps participants improve their education and career skills.
He says so far many of them have just enjoyed the food and having a bed to sleep in.
Mr Wood says helping with their most basic needs is the start of change, which is almost impossible to do in an outpatient or in a non-live in centre for young people.
He says that's because they go back home without any career or life skills, which the Rongo Atea aims to arm them with - in a whanau Maori environment.
The initiative has been running for several years.