For 18 years, methamphetamine addict Joshua Kemp was in and out of prison.
“I’ve always gone back to what I’ve always known,” he said. “It was to hurt, to take away from the things that matter most.”
But that was in the past. For the past 14 months, he’s been clean and sober thanks to He Waka Eke Noa, a recovery programme run by Northland’s Ngāti Whātua iwi that focuses on combatting drug and alcohol abuse with song, dance and camaraderie.
“It’s just about being in a waka together and travelling to the same place, and taking on anyone with no exceptions,” explained programme manager Bessina Pehi-Tamatea. “If you have the passion for someone else to not pick up the pipe and (instead) come here and pick up a waiata, best ever.”
The programme has helped hundreds through kapa haka and tikanga Māori since launching three years ago. Kemp said he discovered He Waka Eke Noa last year.
“It’s taught me to open up my eyes to the world,” he said. “It’s taught me to pray again. It’s taught me to think about the things that matter most...And I care about people. That’s the most important thing.”
Staying clean and sober will give him the opportunity to “live life beyond your wildest dreams”, Kemp said. So he says he will keep showing up, taking it day by day with support from those around him.
The programme is free and open to Māori and non-Māori alike.
“If you want to be clean and sober for the day, then you’re welcome with open arms,” said Pehi-Tamatea, the manager. “There’s no discrimination.”
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