Natural Leaders' staff member Toni McErlane (left) and Maverick Amanini (right) at a rite of passage. Photo: Supplied
An Upper Hutt bushcraft programme has helped turn life around for a 13-year-old heading for a life of crime.
Maverick Amanini was referred to Natural Leaders a year ago, and had gone through a "dramatic transformation" according to the programme's founder, Mandi Lynn.
Amanini's mother, Courtney Kenny, said his bad behaviour started with getting in trouble at his intermediate school.
"That then progressed into small crimes, from petty stealing to encounters of verbal and physical abuse... trying things that, you know, 12-year-olds shouldn't... running away from home, driving cars long distances... being expelled from school."
The deputy principal of Amanini's school suggested he sign up to the Natural Leaders programme.
Lynn said the programme, funded by Sport New Zealand's Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, focussed on bushcraft and was intended for children who struggled in mainstream education.
It also promoted ecotherapy - where the natural environment was used to promote mental and physical health.
She said Amanini was indeed "a bit of a maverick" when he first joined the programme.
"With Mav, nothing in the system was really working, and we've had that with a couple of other kids too.
"You know, it's really simple in a lot of ways. It's just caring, and listening to them, and seeing their strengths, and supporting them in their strengths. I mean, that's not going to fix everything, but my God, it fixes a lot."
Kenny said Amanini's bad behaviour had completely stopped in January after a rite of passage and a month-long trip to Great Barrier Island with Lynn.
Maverick Amanini. Photo: Supplied
Lynn said the rite of passage was a turning point for Amanini, who was using drugs at the time.
"The rite of passage is eight days in the bush, and he had to go out and spend two days all on his own with no food. We're checking on him, but he doesn't see... and it's a really powerful thing. By the time he came out of it, he was clean, and he was just like, 'This feels so much better.'"
She then took Amanini up to Great Barrier Island.
"We took him fishing, and diving, and he got to see a bit of the country. By the time he was done with that, he was solid. Like there was no changing his mind that he wanted to be on the right path and that he could see that there were many ways to be a powerful man and without hurting others and without causing chaos in his wake."
Maverick Amanini fishing near Great Barrier Island. Photo: Supplied
Amanini had then re-engaged with education, and even become one of Natural Leaders' youth mentors.
"Since [Mandi] has inspired me, I've started inspiring other people at Natural Leaders," he said.
Kenny said he then got involved with Mangaroa Farms, a community food hub and education centre, which led to Amanini winning the first Youth Volunteer Award at Volunteer Wellington's Mahi Aroha Awards for delivering kai to the Upper Hutt community.
"Before I went to go to the award ceremony, I was, like, confident I wasn't going to get it, because I didn't see why I should get it, because I didn't feel like I would deserve it. I didn't really look at what I have done, but that's what I thought. When I actually won it, I was just over the moon," he said.
Courtney Kenny (left), Mandi Lynn, Maverick Amanini, and Sofia Amanini (right) at Volunteer Wellington's Mahi Aroha Awards. Photo: Supplied
Kenny was also very proud.
"He was totally shocked. It was a big surprise for me too. He's come a long way. Although there's probably people who have been in that volunteering space for a longer time, I think, Mav... his starting point was so much further back and to get to this place from that is a massive achievement in my opinion."
As for his future, Amanini wanted to stay out of trouble... and hoped to be able to continue working with nature.
"I don't have massive dreams. I do have this one dream, which is to get decently wealthy... I have goals of, like, starting a garden up in Nelson, and beehives, and fish tanks, aquariums, you know. Those are my three biggest goals right now."
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