Te Oranga

Role Models: Volunteers Julia Cropp and Jethro Day enjoy the challenges of the Te Organa outreach.

04 Dec 2009

Troubled children in residential care in Christchurch are benefiting from a volunteer-run program initiated by diocesan youth adviser Phil Trotter.

Five volunteers from city churches join Phil to make fortnightly visits to Te Oranga, a Child, Youth and Family facility located in the suburb of Shirley. Each one-hour session is designed to encourage positive communication and behaviour from the kids.
“Our objectives dovetailed with Te Oranga’s desire to introduce the residents to positive adults and other young people who would be positive role models,” says Phil. Te Oranga, which means “restoring wellbeing”, opened 4 years ago. It houses up to ten children, aged between 10 and 16 years of age, until foster care or other suitable care can be arranged – which can mean a stay of a few weeks or up to a year.

The children attend school at Te Oranga and are not free to leave except for approved visits with family or for supervised outings. The residence is, however, separate from the youth justice system. Each team-led session starts with a prayer and a welcome that involves the young people themselves. In small groups, the young people talk about their week and the team introduces the theme for that session. The team then gives a short talk and incorporates a Bible reading and an activity - such as a game or a video or music clip - to generate discussion with the kids.
“The young people choose their own level of participation but generally they enjoy sharing and being listened to. The activities allow us to get to know their story and their different backgrounds and experiences, “ says Phil.
“By letting them share, listening when they do, and incorporating their interests or where they come from into our talks, we are showing each of them that their story is important and valuable,” he adds.

The children helped write a code of conduct, and there are safety protocols in place to ensure the sessions are incident-free. Te Oranga staff are always present. It has been a challenging environment for the team to work in, and, in its early days, the program was adapted to better engage the children and reduce the potential for disruption. The changes, which were decided on in consultation with Te Oranga management, have improved the young people’s level of participation and fostered more respectful attitudes, which has also increased the volunteer’s morale and level of enjoyment.

“The turnover of kids is high - most weeks there’s a new person - but there are some amazing, cool kids,” says volunteer Julia Cropp from St Barnabas, who is halfway through a social work degree at Canterbury University. “We try to have fun with them and get to know them. Every person needs someone to show they care about them.”
Phil says he was upfront with Te Oranga about the Christian content of the program but acknowledges that an important component is that the young people can be open and honest. In fact, four young people have requested a Bible and, in response to Te Oranga’s request, a Bible has been donated to the facility for general use.
“Of course at times they express views that are contrary to our Christian beliefs. Though it surprises the young people at first, we allow these views to sit. The importance of the discussion time is that the young people have their say. We have had our opportunity to speak and the goal is to put some new thinking, different or deeper understanding out there,” says Phil.

Words: Megan Blakie
Photos: Sophia Bayley