Bros For Change Celebrates Fifth Birthday And Launches New Online Toolkit For Rangatahi

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is delighted to join Bros for Change as they celebrate their fifth birthday and launch a new online toolkit, Tīmatanga Hou.

Bros for Change is a community-based programme that creates transformational change for rangatahi, helping them to overcome challenges and reach their full potential – regardless of their background. The programme helps rangatahi to build a strong sense of culture and identity, and draws on tikanga Māori to break down barriers and build strong relationships between participants and facilitators.

“Five years is an awesome milestone and we are looking forward to celebrating with all of our supporters, and of course the rangatahi who have been through the programme,” says founding director Jaye Pukepuke. “It is also an opportunity to launch our online toolkit, which will give rangatahi around the whole country the chance to join the Bros for Change whānau.”

To date, more than 200 rangatahi have taken part in the six-week programme, with a majority being supported into employment or further education. The launch of Tīmatanga Hou allows Bros for Change to expand their reach, in the hopes of creating similar outcomes throughout Aotearoa.

“We created this resource because we were being asked to run the programme in other areas, but we just couldn’t be everywhere at once,” says Jaye. “Tīmatanga Hou gives agencies and service providers the tools they need to implement Bros for Change themselves – everything from how we weave in whakapapa, to our values and pou.”

Tīmatanga Hou can be purchased by whānau entities, marae, iwi and service providers who want to help rangatahi gain employment and lifeskills, and provides a complete guide to the values, techniques and activities used in Bros for Change. The package includes an initial visit from Jaye to set up the programme, and virtual hui throughout to provide support and answer any questions.

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu Pouārahi Helen Leahy says she is overjoyed to be celebrating with Jaye and the Bros for Change team at tonight’s event.

“Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu has been incredibly proud to walk alongside Bros for Change throughout their journey over the past five years,” Helen says. “They have done so much to connect rangatahi with new experiences, tools and skills, expanding their horizons and cementing their relationships with their whānau and te ao Māori. The impact they have had is truly immeasurable, and I look forward to seeing that impact multiply with the launch of Tīmatanga Hou.”

The Bros for Change birthday party and launch event is taking place tonight at 5.00pm, Friday 20 November at The Piano, 156 Armagh Street, Christchurch.

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