Lent is a ‘check-in’ time for our spirituality, time to question our own assumptions, and to challenge our perceptions.

Are we connected and active or have we become complacent in thought and word and deed? To quote Aldous Huxley “Words form the threads on which we string our experiences”.

Too often we are reminded of how different others’ lives are by accident or happenstance. In this time of reflection, (re) turning towards God in prayer, fasting and giving, Methodist Mission Southern offers you some words about those who are not living like so many of us.

MMS has Youth Transition Houses (YTHs) in Ōtepōti (Dunedin) and Waihōpai (Invercargill), and in April a new Young Mum’s House will be launched in Waihōpai, catering for 16–19-year-olds that have not been given the foundation of a stable home and who have nowhere to live.

Research undertaken during the establishment of the YTHs, showed that out of 300 young people surveyed in Dunedin by youth providers: only 45% were living at home. 39% (117) were “couch-surfing”, 7% (21) were sleeping rough or in cars, 5% (15) were living in boarding houses, and 5% (15) were selling their bodies to have somewhere to sleep.

The YTHs seek to strengthen our rangatahi’s resilience and optimism. These youth are given wraparound support to set and achieve goals which they regularly exceed far beyond the easy assumptions too often made about them. Our only requirement: that they enrol in some form of education.

The YTHs are a haven for marginalised youth where they are not judged, categorised, or labelled.

Over the last three years we have been running the YTHs, more than 50 young people have stayed with us. Roughly two-thirds are female, and a not insignificant number identify as genderqueer or transgender. Just under half are Māori and Pasifika, which is very high as in this part of the world Pākehā are more than 85% of the population.

On average these wonderful young people stay with us for just on 5 months, and while we can go up to 19 years of age, it is 17- and 18-year-olds that most use our service.

One in seven of our rangatahi are still in school when they come to us.

Our Ōtepoti Coordinator tells of a recent resident: “The resident that left the house was quite exceptional in that everything she said she wanted to achieve when she first moved in. She has accomplished NCEA level 2, gained her driver’s licence, and organised counselling for past trauma. She has a place to live despite being turned down over 100 times. Even with some of the hurdles she has had to navigate especially for someone so young she has achieved so much. It was a real joy watching her progress during her brief time at the house and has shown how someone who is determined can achieve what they put their mind to. It is rare in my experience to find adults with such focus let alone someone who came into the house at 16 and left at 17. I can’t but wonder what the future holds in store for her.”

Contact Julie julier@mmsouth.org.nz to hear more stories of these impressive rangatahi and our work via our e-news or sign up Methodist Mission Southern | Facebook

by Julie Roberts