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TE RUNANGANUI O NGATI POROU
Ngati Porou Oranga Youth Services kaimahi, Jury Harrison (Ngati Porou), talks to Nati Link about the mahi he does supporting rangatahi from Potaka to Uawa.
If you want to work with rangatahi on the Coast, you don’t wait for them to come to you, you get in the van and show up where they are. That’s the approach Jury Harrison (Ngati Porou) takes, and it works. He’s a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) Coach for Ngati Porou Oranga Rangatahi Services based in Ruatorea, supporting 16 - 17 year-olds who aren’t in school, work, or training. However titles don’t mean much out here on the Coast. Jury’s mahi is grounded in whakapapa, kanohi kitea, and a Coastie understanding of the world our rangatahi live in. “I advocate for our youth because I know what they want to do,” says Jury. “When I was young I was given opportunities that aren’t happening for our youth now. But they’ve got the energy - they’ve got deep sea energy! I’m just helping to channel that energy into something positive for themselves, cos they’re our future.”
SOMEONE IN THEIR CORNER
Many of the rangatahi that Jury works with are isolated. Some are living off grid. Some have anxiety, have dropped out of school, or struggle with literacy. Others have been caught in cycles that are hard to break. That’s where Jury comes in. He’s the one who shows up - not just to talk, but to walk with them through the practical stuff that helps build confidence - sorting IRD numbers, helping with drivers licence applications and opening bank accounts. He also helps with things like CVs and job applications, supporting some into courses or back into mahi or turning up with kai and a kōrero. “I’ve got the van, I’ve got the fuel. If I’m already taking NEET youth, I’ll take others who aren’t even on our books but need support. It’s just better that way,” he says, “Some of them just need someone in their corner”.
PATHWAYS THAT LEAD SOMEWHERE
Jury’s mahi goes beyond mentoring. He’s been helping design actual training programmes that reflect the world of rangatahi on the Coast. One of those is the engineering and mechanics course in Ruatorea at EIT, set up specifically to teach skills that can be used on the farm or in rural life - fixing quad bikes, machinery, and gear most local kids are already around. “A lot of our kids are into farming. But farming is more than just animals - it’s engineering, carpentry, horticulture. It’s practical, hands-on work”. He worked with a returned local mechanic to get the course off the ground. It’s now full - not just with youth, but older whanau too. “We’ve even got a fella in his 60s in there. The mix is good. Everyone learns from each other.”
Jury also credits the EIT team in Ruatorea for helping create a welcoming learning environment. “Ngaire Keelan and Paula Walker - both Coasties, have been awesome. They make our rangatahi feel at home on campus. Whether it’s access to computers and internet, or help with reading and writing, they awhi everyone who walks through the door.”
Beyond the Coast, Jury has supported rangatahi to follow their dreams further afield, including two who enrolled at the Deep Sea Fishing School in Westport, and another two in equine training: one through NZ Trades Academy in Christchurch, and another with Skills NZ at Byerley Park in West Auckland. Jury also mentions his backing of the development of a nursery and riparian planting programme with Nati Growth - giving rangatahi a chance to learn skills leading to employment and be part of a kaupapa restoring our whenua.
WHAKAPAPA MATTERS
The reason Jury can do this mahi comes down to whakapapa. He knows the Coast, and the Coast knows him. “I went to school with a lot of their grandparents. That’s how it works up here.” And it’s that trust, Jury says, opens doors, literally. He’s not seen as some outsider coming to run a programme. He’s their uncle, cousin, friend and a member of the community. “They know your whakapapa. They know who your parents are, your cousins - that’s how they trust you.” It’s because of that trust, Jury says that whanau and rangatahi engage. They turn up, they bring their mates. But it’s not just about whakapapa and trust, it’s also about reminding rangatahi of who they are and the mana they already have. “When I take them to the Runanga office in Ruatorea,” Jury says, “I tell them, this place belongs to you. Don’t be whakama. Come in, make a cup of tea. You’re the reason this place exists.”
THINKING AHEAD
Jury isn’t interested in one-off fixes. He wants sustainable, long-term solutions, including ideas like co-owned businesses where workers are also shareholders, and where profits go back to the people doing the mahi. “Our community’s too small for everyone to have their own thing. But together? We could make it work.” His dream? That every young person on the coast has the support to shape their own future, “We’re not trying to do miracles. Just making sure they’ve got a chance.”
