Project Awhi founder to visit Christchurch
< Project Awhi founder to visit
city to share views on building healthy families The
Christchurch Mayor’s office has joined with the Families
Commission to host a visit by Project Awhi founder Haami
(Sam) Chapman who will share his experience and views on
strengthening families and communities. The visit is one
of several events being held in Christchurch during the lead
up to White Ribbon Day on Saturday 25 November. The White
Ribbon campaign is an international movement to eliminate
violence against women. Haami Chapman and his wife Thelma
live in Otara, Manukau City and are the founders of Project
Awhi, a community aid and development charity assisting
children, families and communities in need. Mr Chapman is
also a trustee for World Vision and has 30 years experience
in community development. The Chapman’s initiatives
include establishing a family-focused supportive community
in Otara for extended whānau and others who would benefit
from living in this manner. The community is spread across a
dozen homes and includes an early childhood education centre
and whanau centre. Those who have lived there include
former gang members who have resolved to build their
capacity as whānau, fathers and partners. Their aim was
also to live a violence-free life. Mr Chapman’s work with
Project Awhi, and particularly his work with gang members,
was recently featured on TV3’s 60 Minutes. He also
offers workshops that encourage, inspire and support others
working to develop communities using families as the
catalyst for change.
“Our work uses the strengths
within individual communities to improve the capacity of
families. We help them to understand how money works and how
it can work for them. The desired outcome is for these
families to overcome poverty, family violence, illiteracy
and other challenges such as improving housing
conditions,” he says. Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore
says Mr Chapman’s visit to the city provides an ideal
opportunity for community discussion of an issue at the
forefront of our minds. “Sharing ideas on the ways
our community can develop a local strategy to change
attitudes towards family violence is vital. Strengthening
and building the capacity of families is something Mr
Chapman has achieved great success with. His experiences
have a lot to offer our community,” Mr Moore says.
Lyn Campbell, a Christchurch Commissioner for the
Families Commission, says "there is an alarming prevalence
of family violence in our communities and this visit by Sam
Chapman will allow us to hear from someone who knows what
will work to bring lasting
change." ENDS