Families living below the breadline in Paradise

Welfare officer, Mii Daniela-Makikiriti from Internal Affairs said many parents are shocked to find that when their child is dealt with under the Children’s Court system that they have been ordered to pay reparations to the victims.
Many parents claim to be unable to pay such penalties and on investigation by Social Welfare, they have found many parents are unemployed and earn no income at all. Instead they rely on the father to go fishing or to grow vegetables to put food on the table for their families. Child benefits are their only income or perhaps they rely on an older child to work and bring in a wage to help out. There are no unemployment benefits even for such circumstances, as Intaff has no budget in place to do so.
Mii has a great deal of relevant experience having worked with Punanga Tauturu Inc dealing with families subject to domestic violence or even sexual abuse. .
Before that, Mii worked in the New Zealand Social Welfare department and worked with Cook Islands families who had moved to NZ with the view of finding a better life. They have the notion that they would be on unemployment benefits temporarily until they found a good job. However, their dreams are soon shattered because they have no qualifications or skills to be hired and end up as one of the rising number of long term unemployed. In NZ, unemployed persons on benefits are required to take up vocational courses to improve their skills and if they refuse, their benefits are cut off.
Learning from that experience, Mii said their division trys to assist young people in need by trying to get them placed in trade courses available through NHRD in Arorangi or HTTC in Ngatangiia so that they can learn vocational skills and be offered a good job. However, a contributing issue is not being able to afford the fees.
Another helpful course for youth is Te Uki Tu Manava run by Lloyd Matapo and Kevin Iro which has had good success rates.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
- World famous activist assisting residents
- Budget will decide if residents prosecute Government over landfill
- Forestry project sucking Mangaia dry
- Budget 2010 – fiasco or disaster?