Alive & Free is… New Zealand!

All Tuesday nights are the Alive & Free are special……and then there are some that REALLY special!

We had a surprise guest at Club on Tuesday night September 25—a visitor from New Zealand! Atawhai Henare is a New Zealand police officer who works with in his home city of Northland. Because of the great job he does with them, he was entered into a contest for excellence in youth development work……and he won. His prize? He was awarded a trip to America to visit any two youth programs he wanted to see up close and personal. He researched the internet and you guess it. He picked Alive & Free Omega Boys Club as one of the programs he and his family wanted to see.

Officer Henare works primarily with young men from the Maori tribe, the indigenous people of New Zealand. (He is Maori himself). He told the young people during Family Meeting about how New Zealand was colonized by the British and the effect that has had on the Maori. (Native Americans in the United States). The problems are rampant— lack of social mobility, the loss of identity, the lack of self esteem and illiteracy-to name a few. After sitting in on Tuesday night at Omega—Ms. Demetra and Ms. Estell’s classes and the Family Meeting—he completely identified with the kids and now wants to create Alive & Free New Zealand. Most touching of all, his fifteen-year old daughter said that this was the first time she felt accepted and validated in a classroom setting. Wow. She wished she could stay and attend the Tuesday night classes.

Yes, it was a special night at Alive & Free. Office Henare, we will be in touch. Alive & Free New Zealand sounds just great.