We believe our community is our responsibility and it’s always inspiring to meet someone else who shares that belief…
Ray Totorewa is no regular guy, he’s an absolute champion. After the various lockdowns of 2020, he recognised a need around access to fresh food in vulnerable communities. Instead of waiting for someone else to solve the problem, he decided he would be the solution, rolled up his sleeves and came up with an idea. “I thought about how I could possibly help and it really came back to what our grandparents had taught us about going back to the land, growing our own kai and being self-sustainable”, he said.
With this in mind, he set about finding a way to help build raised garden beds for people in his local community in order to help them to help themselves – and this week he hit the hundred mark… and you bet he isn’t about to stop there!
Amongst others, those recipients of gardens include four maraes, the women’s refuge, and several large families. Ray said he has been overwhelmed by the support of others. He’s incredibly grateful for the fact that Ngapeke Permaculture works closely alongside him providing knowledge and advice and that many others have come to the party with donations of wood, soil and the like.
He says he simply does it because “it’s a way to give back to the community” and he just likes to put his gumboots on and “get out there”! He loves the time he gets to spend “having a cuppa” with those who he is helping and hearing their life stories and experiences.
What a phenomenal job Ray does, out there putting his heart and soul into a clear need in our community and being the solution! We take our hat off to him for the tireless hours he puts in and can’t wait to hear more in times to come.