The day after flooding caused significant damage across his farm and surrounding properties, Arapeta Henderson was out on his tractor clearing roads.
At home, he had his own challenges to deal with.
Heavy rain, the overflowing of the Karakatuwhero River and the bursting of the Wairenga Stream at the base of Pukeamaru had caused major damage to his property.
But with roads needing to be cleared and access restored, Arapeta stepped forward to help reconnect his community. His story reflects the contribution our pākeke continue to make to their whānau and communities, even when they are facing challenges of their own.
Through the Pākeke Fund, supported by The Selwyn Foundation, some of that support has now been returned.
Ko Arapeta Henderson ahau nō Te Whānau a Hinerupe.
Born in Waipiro Bay, Arapeta is one of 14 children of Frank and Tapita Henderson.
He has four tamariki and 20 mokopuna and lives on Tokata Road in Te Araroa, where he still works part-time as a truck driver.
The January floods caused significant damage to Arapeta’s farm and a number of surrounding properties.
The Wairenga Stream had been an important water source for several properties, including Arapeta’s, but the flooding wiped out his water hose system.
The floods wiped out my water hose system and left an 8m build-up of earth and debris within the creek bed, significantly reducing its flow,” Arapeta said.
The water line supplied water to all my troughs as well as topped up my house tank when needed, like in the summertime.
For Arapeta, losing that water supply had an immediate impact. His horses, cows, pigs and sheep all require constant access to water.
Support through the Pākeke Fund helped him purchase a new 25,000-litre water tank, providing another way to collect rainwater and supply his home and troughs.
The new tank will mean I no longer have to rely on the water hose for supply.
It is a practical solution that has made a significant difference to everyday life on the farm.
I am very grateful to the Rūnanga and the funders for the support. It will help me care for my stock and not have to cart water from the river every week.
It has also meant I could purchase the tank sooner rather than later if I had to purchase it all on my own.
Arapeta’s experience is one of many applications received through the Pākeke Fund from communities across Ngāti Porou.
The support provided by The Selwyn Foundation has helped pākeke and whānau respond to the immediate impacts of flooding while also preparing their homes and properties for future weather events.
Funding has supported a wide range of practical needs, including water tanks and pumps, reinstating waterlines, repairing califonts and septic systems, improving power resilience and restoring access to homes.
It has also helped whānau replace essential items damaged or lost during flooding, clear debris and silt, repair fences and land infrastructure, and maintain access to health and wellbeing initiatives.
Behind each application is a whānau, and a different experience of what living through severe weather can mean.
For Hineawe Groube, who lives on Whakaangiangi Road, one of those challenges is keeping the power on.
Severe weather can leave her whare without electricity, and at times she has had to relocate to town until power is restored.
Support through the Pākeke Fund has helped strengthen her power resilience, giving her greater security and helping her remain at home when outages occur.
Further along the Coast, Sarah Lovell lives on East Cape Road with her pākeke mum.
For them, severe weather can bring not only power outages but isolation. Landslides and coastal erosion can close East Cape Road, leaving residents cut off for periods of time.
A generator provided through the fund will help Sarah and her mum keep essential household needs running when power or access is disrupted.
Their circumstances may be different, but the need is shared — helping our pākeke remain safe, connected and better prepared in communities where severe weather, isolation and power outages are an ongoing reality.
For many years, our pākeke have supported their whānau, hapū and communities through service, manaakitanga and simply being there when they are needed.
The Pākeke Fund has provided an opportunity to return some of that support when they need it most.
The generosity of The Selwyn Foundation has helped address immediate recovery needs, but its impact extends beyond replacing what was damaged or lost.
For Arapeta, it means a reliable source of water for his home and animals.
For Hineawe, it means greater security when the power goes out.
For Sarah and her mum, it means being better prepared when their road or power supply is disrupted.
Across Ngāti Porou, these practical changes are helping pākeke and whānau recover from what has already happened, while building greater resilience for whatever weather may come next.
The day after flooding caused significant damage across his farm and surrounding properties, Arapeta Henderson was out on his tractor clearing roads.
At home, he had his own challenges to deal with.
Heavy rain, the overflowing of the Karakatuwhero River and the bursting of the Wairenga Stream at the base of Pukeamaru had caused major damage to his property.
But with roads needing to be cleared and access restored, Arapeta stepped forward to help reconnect his community. His story reflects the contribution our pākeke continue to make to their whānau and communities, even when they are facing challenges of their own.
Through the Pākeke Fund, supported by The Selwyn Foundation, some of that support has now been returned.
Ko Arapeta Henderson ahau nō Te Whānau a Hinerupe.
Born in Waipiro Bay, Arapeta is one of 14 children of Frank and Tapita Henderson.
He has four tamariki and 20 mokopuna and lives on Tokata Road in Te Araroa, where he still works part-time as a truck driver.
The January floods caused significant damage to Arapeta’s farm and a number of surrounding properties.
The Wairenga Stream had been an important water source for several properties, including Arapeta’s, but the flooding wiped out his water hose system.
The floods wiped out my water hose system and left an 8m build-up of earth and debris within the creek bed, significantly reducing its flow,” Arapeta said.
The water line supplied water to all my troughs as well as topped up my house tank when needed, like in the summertime.
For Arapeta, losing that water supply had an immediate impact. His horses, cows, pigs and sheep all require constant access to water.
Support through the Pākeke Fund helped him purchase a new 25,000-litre water tank, providing another way to collect rainwater and supply his home and troughs.
The new tank will mean I no longer have to rely on the water hose for supply.
It is a practical solution that has made a significant difference to everyday life on the farm.
I am very grateful to the Rūnanga and the funders for the support. It will help me care for my stock and not have to cart water from the river every week.
It has also meant I could purchase the tank sooner rather than later if I had to purchase it all on my own.
Arapeta’s experience is one of many applications received through the Pākeke Fund from communities across Ngāti Porou.
The support provided by The Selwyn Foundation has helped pākeke and whānau respond to the immediate impacts of flooding while also preparing their homes and properties for future weather events.
Funding has supported a wide range of practical needs, including water tanks and pumps, reinstating waterlines, repairing califonts and septic systems, improving power resilience and restoring access to homes.
It has also helped whānau replace essential items damaged or lost during flooding, clear debris and silt, repair fences and land infrastructure, and maintain access to health and wellbeing initiatives.
Behind each application is a whānau, and a different experience of what living through severe weather can mean.
For Hineawe Groube, who lives on Whakaangiangi Road, one of those challenges is keeping the power on.
Severe weather can leave her whare without electricity, and at times she has had to relocate to town until power is restored.
Support through the Pākeke Fund has helped strengthen her power resilience, giving her greater security and helping her remain at home when outages occur.
Further along the Coast, Sarah Lovell lives on East Cape Road with her pākeke mum.
For them, severe weather can bring not only power outages but isolation. Landslides and coastal erosion can close East Cape Road, leaving residents cut off for periods of time.
A generator provided through the fund will help Sarah and her mum keep essential household needs running when power or access is disrupted.
Their circumstances may be different, but the need is shared — helping our pākeke remain safe, connected and better prepared in communities where severe weather, isolation and power outages are an ongoing reality.
For many years, our pākeke have supported their whānau, hapū and communities through service, manaakitanga and simply being there when they are needed.
The Pākeke Fund has provided an opportunity to return some of that support when they need it most.
The generosity of The Selwyn Foundation has helped address immediate recovery needs, but its impact extends beyond replacing what was damaged or lost.
For Arapeta, it means a reliable source of water for his home and animals.
For Hineawe, it means greater security when the power goes out.
For Sarah and her mum, it means being better prepared when their road or power supply is disrupted.
Across Ngāti Porou, these practical changes are helping pākeke and whānau recover from what has already happened, while building greater resilience for whatever weather may come next.
The day after flooding caused significant damage across his farm and surrounding properties, Arapeta Henderson was out on his tractor clearing roads.
At home, he had his own challenges to deal with.
Heavy rain, the overflowing of the Karakatuwhero River and the bursting of the Wairenga Stream at the base of Pukeamaru had caused major damage to his property.
But with roads needing to be cleared and access restored, Arapeta stepped forward to help reconnect his community. His story reflects the contribution our pākeke continue to make to their whānau and communities, even when they are facing challenges of their own.
Through the Pākeke Fund, supported by The Selwyn Foundation, some of that support has now been returned.
Ko Arapeta Henderson ahau nō Te Whānau a Hinerupe.
Born in Waipiro Bay, Arapeta is one of 14 children of Frank and Tapita Henderson.
He has four tamariki and 20 mokopuna and lives on Tokata Road in Te Araroa, where he still works part-time as a truck driver.
The January floods caused significant damage to Arapeta’s farm and a number of surrounding properties.
The Wairenga Stream had been an important water source for several properties, including Arapeta’s, but the flooding wiped out his water hose system.
The floods wiped out my water hose system and left an 8m build-up of earth and debris within the creek bed, significantly reducing its flow,” Arapeta said.
The water line supplied water to all my troughs as well as topped up my house tank when needed, like in the summertime.
For Arapeta, losing that water supply had an immediate impact. His horses, cows, pigs and sheep all require constant access to water.
Support through the Pākeke Fund helped him purchase a new 25,000-litre water tank, providing another way to collect rainwater and supply his home and troughs.
The new tank will mean I no longer have to rely on the water hose for supply.
It is a practical solution that has made a significant difference to everyday life on the farm.
I am very grateful to the Rūnanga and the funders for the support. It will help me care for my stock and not have to cart water from the river every week.
It has also meant I could purchase the tank sooner rather than later if I had to purchase it all on my own.
Arapeta’s experience is one of many applications received through the Pākeke Fund from communities across Ngāti Porou.
The support provided by The Selwyn Foundation has helped pākeke and whānau respond to the immediate impacts of flooding while also preparing their homes and properties for future weather events.
Funding has supported a wide range of practical needs, including water tanks and pumps, reinstating waterlines, repairing califonts and septic systems, improving power resilience and restoring access to homes.
It has also helped whānau replace essential items damaged or lost during flooding, clear debris and silt, repair fences and land infrastructure, and maintain access to health and wellbeing initiatives.
Behind each application is a whānau, and a different experience of what living through severe weather can mean.
For Hineawe Groube, who lives on Whakaangiangi Road, one of those challenges is keeping the power on.
Severe weather can leave her whare without electricity, and at times she has had to relocate to town until power is restored.
Support through the Pākeke Fund has helped strengthen her power resilience, giving her greater security and helping her remain at home when outages occur.
Further along the Coast, Sarah Lovell lives on East Cape Road with her pākeke mum.
For them, severe weather can bring not only power outages but isolation. Landslides and coastal erosion can close East Cape Road, leaving residents cut off for periods of time.
A generator provided through the fund will help Sarah and her mum keep essential household needs running when power or access is disrupted.
Their circumstances may be different, but the need is shared — helping our pākeke remain safe, connected and better prepared in communities where severe weather, isolation and power outages are an ongoing reality.
For many years, our pākeke have supported their whānau, hapū and communities through service, manaakitanga and simply being there when they are needed.
The Pākeke Fund has provided an opportunity to return some of that support when they need it most.
The generosity of The Selwyn Foundation has helped address immediate recovery needs, but its impact extends beyond replacing what was damaged or lost.
For Arapeta, it means a reliable source of water for his home and animals.
For Hineawe, it means greater security when the power goes out.
For Sarah and her mum, it means being better prepared when their road or power supply is disrupted.
Across Ngāti Porou, these practical changes are helping pākeke and whānau recover from what has already happened, while building greater resilience for whatever weather may come next.
