PKW support for youth programme brings home benefit

Tamariki learning the martial art of Jeff Speakman’s Kenpo 5.0 in North Taranaki are also experiencing stability and a positive influence in their lives, with fantastic results through coupling martial arts and education.

The Kids Empowered Programme was specifically developed at the end of last year to provide sponsored martial arts training and after school academic tutoring for youth by Tessa and Shane Wallacehoskin, owners of New Plymouth-based martial arts company Local Impact Ltd.

“We set up the programme to reach tamariki in our community who would otherwise not have the opportunity of attending martial arts classes or after-school tutoring due to financial restraints,” says Tessa.

PKW has enabled four tamatāne (boys) ranging in age from seven to 11 years from New Plymouth’s kura kaupapa Māori, Te Pihipihinga Kākano Mai i Rangiātea, to be part of Kids Empowered this year.

Although Tessa and Shane have backgrounds in sport at the highest levels in Aotearoa - Tessa was a New Zealand softball representative in the White Sox and Shane played for New Zealand Māori League - the couple have hung up their cleats and boots and are now focussing on their children, and the positive things that come from the work they are doing.

Above: Tessa (Manukorihi, Ngāti Mutunga, Te Atiawa) and Shane (Taranaki Iwi) with their daughter Symonn Ngahina Wallacehoskin. Symonn is one of the assistant instructors at Local Impact.

“Making a difference in our community is heart-warming and seeing many of our students as class leaders, captains, winning speech competitions, school awards and other sporting achievements is amazing in itself,” says Shane.

Mitchell Ritai, PKW General Manager Shareholder Engagement, says it’s easy to support a programme that aligns so closely with PKW values to build self-esteem in future leaders.

He says Tessa and Shane are incorporating tikanga and reo Māori into the everyday operations of the dojo, which now runs classes for nearly 300 tamariki every week, and sees the work they are doing as a direct investment into the community with immediate effects.

“This strengthens whānau who want to provide opportunities for their tamariki,” says Mitchell. “It’s a trilateral relationship between PKW, Local Impact and whānau.”

Te Pihipihinga Kākano Mai i Rangiātea’s principal Moana Kake says the Kids Empowered programme adds tremendous value to the pupils’ time at the kura, providing them with skills they can use in all aspects of their lives.

Above: The combination of martial arts training, tikanga and te reo Māori helps give pupils on the programme a sense of pride in themselves and their culture, with life-changing results.

“It provides some stability to those who may not have a male role model in the home, providing extra support for our whānau,” says Moana.

“With that support it’s been really interesting to see the difference in them. Now they’re able to connect the tikanga between the kura and Kenpo and understand they can achieve in both areas.”

Tessa says the support PKW provide to the programme makes a massive difference, not only for the tamariki they sponsor, but with benefits reaching their whānau and kura in areas like positive behavioural changes and academic advancement.

“The feedback and continued support from parents and caregivers is extremely positive. Our students and families constantly refer to ‘our Kenpofamily’,” she says.

“This is how we like it. This is who we are. It takes a village to raise a child. Let’s be that village!”

Above: The combination of martial arts training, tikanga and te reo Māori helps give pupils on the programme a sense of pride in themselves and their culture, with life-changing results.