PROJECT DETAILS
Te Aroha Noa Community Services is very concerned at the significant increase in family stress/family violence incidents due to rising unemployment and financial hardship. Te Aroha Noa Community Services in its strategic planning has decided that if we are to truly fulfil our vision of creating strong communities of healthy families we must engage the men of our community. The deepening economic recession and rising unemployment only hastens this strategic objective. Our methodology will be to employ a member of staff to engage with men in the community using a community development methodology. Through ‘conversations’ ‘men’s worlds’ would be entered and in partnership with them initiatives developed that give men significance and purpose so they feel they are fulfilling their potential and are meaningfully contributing to their families. Te Aroha Noa Community Services will build on some of its relationships it has with men who are already entering the circles of influence of Te Aroha Noa. Potential initiatives that could be developed out of this approach include fitness classes, a ‘Blokes Shed’, computer classes for men, Community Sports teams etc. All of these initiatives would provide the practical vehicle for conversations to be held with men about their dreams for themselves and their families, their unrealized aspirations and their frustrations. It would be hoped that through this approach that indigenous male community leaders would be developed who are conducting initiatives and altering the community values towards family violence, family involvement, family leadership and meaningful contribution to society. It would also be hoped that men would be developing skills in communication, emotional expression, self awareness, resilience and responsibility. A full Outcome Based Logic model will be developed.
Programme Goal
Men in the Highbury, Takaro, Westbrooke, Cloverlea and Awapuni and other disadvantaged communities in Palmerston North will have increased their awareness of their community, family and own deeper needs and aspirations and will be positively impacting their personal, family and community worlds.
Strategic Objectives
1. To initiate the emergent phase of a community led development project, engaging men in conversations about men’s worlds.
2. To develop male community leaders and influencers
3. To develop an action research model with innovative strategies focussed on men positively impacting their community.
4. To develop the organisational and family/whanau capacity to sustain and continue to promote men positively impacting their community.
Long term impact
While this Project will be developed using an evolutionary model and critical reflection processes it is hoped that the long term impact will be:
· the development of men as positive role models for their families and communities
· the development of strong positive male leadership in their communities
· the development of sustained long term initiatives that provide To Turangawaewae (A place to belong) for men that nurture positive masculine identity.
· men engaged in tertiary education and gaining tertiary qualifications
· the development of strong vibrant communities that unleash the potential of all its members
· the development of ongoing mentoring relationships, including from diverse backgrounds, between men
· the development of employment initiatives including cooperative and self employment initiatives
· men actively involved in developing solutions to community needs
· the enhancement of positive community identity in these disadvantaged communities
· the reduction in alcohol and drug abuse in the western suburbs communities
· an increase in educational achievement by boys in the western suburbs communities
· the development of an adaptive and resilient community