South Seas Reshapes Services Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Read the original News Article here.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, South Seas changed dramatically in the way it works - coming up with original programmes "run by the community, for the community".

“For my children to be living in a mildewed house with my baby's condition because she has Apert Syndrome… it’s really important she’s not living in that,” says single mother, Leeshaye Thomas, who is a client of South Seas' Wellbeing Hub.

“Having these people to support you - not just financially but its support you through like making sure you are ok in yourself…you don’t have that around all the time,” Thomas says.

“When Covid hit it was that sort of pride… we have to protect Otara... the community here is a really resourceful and resilient community anyway but what we found through Covid is they have a lot more to offer,” says CEO of South Seas Healthcare, Lemalu Silao.

As a part of the response, the Bubblegum group has gone from strength to strength, reaching out to around 30,000 young people through a raft of projects.

The latest - surveying youth who've been forced to leave school since Covid and they intend to take the final results to the Beehive.

“Challenge them on these issues, because what I’ve found in this Covid-19 income relief payment scheme it actually hasn’t been enough to provide for the daily bills of families, which is why kids are feeling the need to drop out and find work,” says Michael Ahsei, one of the Bubblegum team members.

Bubblegum is also driving another youth initiative, Barbershop, which is a neighbourhood service provided by South Seas, offering the community another doorway into correct resources and providing a safe space for young men to speak.

“Especially the youth, there’s always one that they need someone to talk to. That’s why I love being a barber," says Sati Malatai, the Barber of By the Brother Barbershop.

Since the opening of BTB Barbershop, more than 250 people have come to the shop for haircuts. South Seas hope to maintain such good services and doorways to the community in Ōtara.