A Porirua-based kaupapa helping young people build resilience and avoid the harms of drugs and organised crime is receiving new backing through millions of dollars reinvested from criminal assets seized by the Government.
Ko Wai Au, run by the Porirua Whānau Centre, is an established school-based programme supporting tamariki with wellbeing, resilience and positive decision-making skills.
The initiative has now expanded to include content from the ROCC programme, focusing specifically on the dangers of methamphetamine, gang recruitment and organised crime.
Funding for the programme comes through the Government’s Proceeds of Crime Fund, which redirects money confiscated from criminal activity into community projects aimed at reducing harm and supporting recovery.
Associate Ministers Casey Costello and Nicole McKee recently confirmed the latest funding allocation as part of an $11.9 million nationwide investment covering seven regions across Aotearoa.
Porirua Whānau Centre is one of several organisations delivering ROCC-funded programmes in the Wellington region.
The programme teaches young people about the impact drugs such as methamphetamine can have on their hauora, whānau relationships and future opportunities.
Alongside prevention messaging, Ko Wai Au also focuses on aspiration and identity, encouraging rangatahi to recognise their strengths and pursue positive pathways.
Porirua Whānau Centre Chief Executive Liz Kelly says the success of community-led programmes comes from trusting local organisations to understand the needs of their own people and deliver solutions grounded in lived experience and relationships.
Programme evaluations using the Te Whare Tapa Whā wellbeing framework have shown improved understanding among participants around drug harm and stronger confidence in making healthy decisions.
Community leaders say early intervention remains one of the most effective ways to reduce vulnerability to gangs, addiction and long-term social harm.
Porirua has faced ongoing challenges linked to youth inequity, housing pressure and organised crime activity, with local providers increasingly calling for preventative approaches led by communities themselves rather than purely enforcement-based responses.
Supporters of the programme say kaupapa Māori and whānau-centred initiatives are critical because they focus not only on avoiding harm, but also on strengthening identity, belonging and long-term wellbeing.
The Government says the Proceeds of Crime Fund is designed to ensure money taken from criminal enterprises is reinvested into projects helping communities most affected by organised crime and drug harm.
For the Porirua Whānau Centre, the latest funding means continuing work with rangatahi in schools and communities where early support can have lasting impacts for future generations.
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