“I’ve got a bright future.”

Once living in his car, Whakamaru resident Yohanes is now thriving in his studies, and is fast becoming a role model to others around him.

When you donate to our 2025 Spring Appeal, you fund the services that ensure rangatahi like Yohanes are supported and empowered to achieve the great things they’re capable of. Read Yohanes’ story below.

“I was born and raised in Auckland. My family lived in a pretty rough spot, so there was a lot of violence around us, and I even had friends pass away. I wanted to get away from that life, work on myself, and start studying to become a youth worker. I’m very close with my family there, but they understood the position I was in and the future I wanted for myself.

I came down to Wellington in November last year. My plan was to stay with some family until I could find a flat, but that didn’t really work out, so I lived in my car while I looked for my own place. It was really hard to find somewhere to live. I was constantly looking at places and going to viewings and interviews, but because of my age, and the way I look, I kept getting turned down. It really was depressing. I even got referred to a youth hostel by Work and Income but got rejected from there too. Living in the car was kind of rough, and it’s actually really boring. I had a few friends here who would come and visit me, and seeing them helped me forget I was staying in my car.”

I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I just kept on praying. Then in February, I got spotted by someone from the Mission, and they told me about the Supported Transitional Housing at Whakamaru. I really liked the place, because it felt completely different to what I had experienced for the last few months. It felt warm and comfortable, and people were happy I was here – it was perfect. I also got introduced to Billy, who became my support worker.”

I started doing my two-year diploma in Youth Work at WelTec and I’m really enjoying it. I want to follow my older brother’s footsteps a bit too, so I’m doing an online football coaching course. I’ve also started working part time doing food deliveries. I really like all the programmes we have here, like the regular study group, and I’m keen to start with financial mentoring soon as well. The other residents here have become like family to me. My family in Auckland is proud of me for leaving the situation I was in, and having good people around helps me keep focused on my goals.”

I’ve always had a positive vision for my future, and everything is coming together perfectly now. I’m looking forward to being able to help others who are in a similar situation to what I grew up in, and I’m excited about the idea of lifting up young people who are in trouble. Seeing what Billy and the other staff do here has only encouraged me more.”

My plan is to stay at Whakamaru until my 12-month contract ends around February next year, and try again to find a flat. I feel reassured having people like Billy behind me, because whatever happens I’ll know that when I do leave, the Mission is here to help if I ever need it.”

One thing I will take away from being here, is to never be ungrateful for what I do have. Everyone here, from the residents to the people in the Community Café, are in different situations that are hard. You can really see how the Mission is making a difference for people in the community.”

Billy, Yohanes’ Community Support Worker, sings his praises and discusses the importance of spaces like Whakamaru:

“With Whakamaru now in Wellington, it’s great to have a space for young people who are struggling with housing or other needs. The youth workers have built up a programme designed specifically for young people to try new things and learn practical life skills, to eventually become independent. The social activities also bring a lot of enrichment to our group, and it’s really nice to see young people from different backgrounds engage positively with one another and create community together.”

Mission donors are providing a lot of new opportunities for our young people to live their best lives here. And because our residents always have the basic necessities, they don’t have to worry about where they’ll sleep or where their food’s coming from. The 24/7 staff support and programmes we have in place just keep our young people on track. It all allows our rangatahi to thrive.”

Lots of us staff see Yohanes as a bit of a role model for other people who live here, not just because he’s achieving top marks in his studies and working, but he’s also volunteering, doing school holiday programmes. He’s done all of that hard work himself. We’ve just been the safety net!”