A LABOUR of LOVE


Every Labour Day holiday weekend in New Zealand for the past 19 years a group of keen families head around the east coast of the North Island to help with various jobs the locals want a hand with. eg. planting waterways with native trees, re-roofing an elderly persons house, doing up an RSA building or a beach clean up. 
This year it was ongoing maintenance and development of a local marae situated near the beautiful and remote East Cape. A couple of weeks ago, they worked with the local community at the Awatere Marae inland from Te Araroa. Over the years, other local Marae have benefitted from joint collaborations. 
Our daughter Ruth, husband Jake and their children, Ada, Patch, and Manny and Ada’s friend Nina joined the group and travelled from Mount Maunganui. On the Saturday Ruth sent us some photos of what they were up to, so in no particular order, Manny asleep in the wharenui (translated ‘large house’), Ada and Nina laughing and floating down a local river, Ruth, Dave, Ripeka and Trudi painting a shed, a panning video clip of newly established gardens, tired children having a lie down rest under a table, a large group shot of young and old, Māori and pakeha working together, Ada and Nina riding in the back of a ute and these two friends resting on their spades. 
It is worth noting that the now intergenerational nature of the work is based on a 30 year commitment. Most of all it is about ‘making a difference’ based on enduring relationships and trust, which are at the heart of it all, not just the work. 
Everyone comments at the end how much they loved the weekend and get so much out of it. Conversations and friendships are being built in different communities as they enrich each other.

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