I’ve been looking forward to this conversation for ages! I first met Makerita Makapelu at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa conference in 2023. It was the end of a full day when I heard her presentation and I remember feeling instantly captivated by the joy and love which streamed from her as she described her work.
Makerita is the Team Leader Innovation and Practice at Te Hiko, a community innovation hub in Cannons Creek, Porirua. It’s a vibrant diverse suburb, with a large Pacific Island community that suffers more than its fair share of injustices from an oppressive economic system. Te Hiko’s work is all about supporting people in the local community to realise their own capability. They do it by creating safe spaces where people can come together, relax and apply themselves to the challenge.
Te Hiko’s vision is a local economy that allows people in Porirua to create from their own skills and local resources the abundance needed to live well. Over the last 18 years they’ve made significant progress towards this goal. They provide backbone support to a whole range of community initiatives. They facilitate a financial wellbeing programme and a savings pool helping people break the cycle of debt; they co-ordinate the Wellington Fruit and Vege Co-op which provides fresh produce at affordable prices, they facilitate a men’s group dedicated to reforesting the hills and a programme supporting people affected by or suffering from Methamphetamines.
Talking to Makerita, I get the sense that anything is possible when people come together with love and respect around a purpose.
In our conversation, we talk about her childhood and early career - her memories of Samoa before her family moved to Aotearoa, the challenges of growing up in Porirua and her discovery of theatre and dance, which started her on a healing journey. She speaks about the Samoan concepts of tautua (service) and Le Va (the sacred space between) and her vision for Aotearoa that we embrace our own indigenous wisdom.
Makerita talks about the gap between the experience of real people on the ground and the policies intended to serve them and the work Te Hiko is doing to bridge that gap. She tells me about the Just Change Programme, which invites people who have a little extra money to spare to connect and grow meaningful relationships with people leading projects in the community. It’s not just about sharing money - it’s about understanding each other’s reality and building relationships of care.
Te Hiko means “spark” in Te Reo and I got the sense of all these sparks being fanned to life by the loving support of Makerita and her team.
Links
Just Change - connecting donors with community projects
Hauora Kai: Wellington Region Fruit and Vege Coop
Good Cents: Financial Wellbeing Programme
Big thanks to Casual Healing and Chur the Choir for the music!
Makerita is a big fan of Bob Marley, so I’m delighted to be able to play this beautiful cover of One Love by local Paekākāriki musician Nikau Te Huki and Chur the Choir for letting me use this song. You can listen to the whole album here.
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