Rozana, a supportive mother at Ngataki is one of a kind, going out of her way to support the children’s wellbeing where her son attends.

It all started with a conversation with teacher aide Heather about helping out with the children’s fitness leading into cross country. Rozana started coming into school twice a week to work with the children and those that wanted extra practise would go down to the local beach at lunchtime and run with her. Rozana chatted with the children and found they were interested in keeping healthy. As a result, conversations turned to healthy eating and how what you put in your body needed to be good. This meant not too much packet food and lots of vegetables and fruit and things that are natural.

Rozana says “I could see the children really thrived off that little bit of contact I had with them, they would come and greet me at school and had a real sparkle in their eye, they would ask what they were going to do next. I had taught my daughter athletics years ago and she did quite well so I thought I could pass my knowledge onto these kids if they were willing to commit.”

Rozana started an Athletics Club which ran after school each Tuesday and Thursday at Ngataki School. As a result of this, 13 Ngataki students attended the Athletics Finals day at Kaitaia Intermediate School, which was an increase from the year before where 6 students competed. This has lifted some aspirations and there are now plans to attend ribbon days in Whangarei and competing at the Colgate games. There has also been interest in expanding to include students from the surrounding area.

Rozana found the students to be bouncier, happy and confident, enthusiastic and excited and she could see their potential and their motivation during and after training sessions.

The students have really enjoyed their time with Rozana and have decided to repay her back for all the time she has put into their lives by helping her in the orchard by weeding and clearing the gardens.  They have also learnt to weave with the flax cut offs with the trinkets now displayed at the stall at the end of Rozana’s drive for tourists to buy.

“This is a bi product of the work Rozana has put into the children and we are seeing the children becoming active and involved within the community that they live in. These are wonderful successes to see” says Energizer Garth Hutchinson who supports the school.