Pāpāmoa’s landscape is blooming with hope and community spirit following the unveiling of the newly created organic, recyclable ‘Koiri Garden’, a collaborative endeavour by Kai Aroha – Feeding Our Hungry Community and St Paul’s Co-Operating Church.

Located on the church premises on Dickson Rd, Pāpāmoa, the heart of the community garden is empathy and love, says Kai Aroha founding leader Tania Lewis-Rickard.

“We go the extra mile. Our kaupapa is to flourish our community,” says Tania.

Every Monday night at Pāpāmoa St Paul's Church, Kai Aroha provides a free community dinner meal, for those experiencing food hardship.

Kai Aroha founding leader Tania Lewis-Rickard and Rev. Philipp Potgieter from St Paul’s Co-Operating Church at the newly opened Kiori Community Garden in Pāpāmoa. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The progression from serving up great kai to putting in a garden to grow food was a natural one, and something Tania had been wanting to see started for some time.

“I wanted to have a garden but I’m useless in a garden, so I got other people who are experts and who have a heart for the community.”

She’s delighted that on her own team already were horticultural “genius” Emma Cole who is a horticulture tutor at Skills Update Training and Education Group, and Rev. Philipp Potgieter from St Paul’s, who both share the same vision.

Rev. Philipp Potgieter from St Paul’s Co-Operating Church, Emma Cole who is a tutor at Skills Update Training and Education Group, Kai Aroha founding leader Tania Lewis-Rickard, and Tawhai Rickard holding an umbrella over Tania's head while she speaks at the opening of the Kiori Community Garden in Pāpāmoa. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

“Emma has been part of the Kai Aroha team forever and also Philipp for the last three years, we three, have been meeting weekly to discuss, plan and take action on getting the garden up and going,” says Tania.

“Being an educator myself, I envisioned this project to grow kai for the free meals and to teach our local community and the horticulture students from Skills Update how to grow kai for themselves and their whānau. It’s the right time, the right place, and they are the right people.”

Volunteers, sponsors and supporters at the blessing for the Koiri Garden at St Paul’s in Pāpāmoa. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Kai Aroha is underpinned by its Māori tikanga values and Christian principles which are Manaakitanga – hospitality, Atawhaitanga – compassion and kindness, Whanaungatanga –kinship and close connections, and Ngākau Aroha – empathy and love. These values are deeply interwoven into the purpose of the garden.

“The official blessing of our ‘Koiri Garden’ community education garden highlights the partnership between two amazing organisations St Paul’s Church and Kai Aroha,” says Tania, adding that ‘Koiri’ means to flourish, the flourishing of nature and breath of life.

Koiri embodies a repeating koru pattern seen in kowhaiwhai art, the koru turns back into itself, infinitely branching off each other.

The newly-launched Koiri Garden with raised garden beds ready to go. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

“To have our whanau, our sponsors and supporters and the Kai Aroha team there to tautoko this prestigious occasion was more than a beautiful occasion.

"It marked the beginning of something special in bringing community together to help community move forward into a place of prosperity.”

She quotes 2 Corinthians 9:6 which is about expecting a blessing:

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,” says Tania about the way the community has come together to create the garden.

“We could not have done this without so many because it takes more than a vision to bring something to fruition.

"It was a mission to get the right people who had the right ngākau and who believed in the kaupapa and who’d get the job done.”

The water tank along with a pump and shed were donated by Aquaholics Limited. Water is collected from the roof of St Paul's church. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Dedicating themselves to the project were Karen and Keith of Skills Update Training and Education Group and Confidence Building Inspections and Scott Cole from Beca Engineers. Brad Mahoney, co-founder and director, alongside Jarad Davis and their team at Aquaholics Limited team provided assistance with human resources, a water tank and pump, garden shed, and trucks to move trees.

“Their expertise, generosity and support was truly remarkable, we really felt their heart connection for this kaupapa,” says Tania.

Tania also acknowledges her mother’s steadfast support, and her husband Tawhai Rickard who gave a karakia blessing.

“I couldn’t do this without Tawhai’s support and our two children”.

Their daughter Shalom Rickard painted the garden sign, the garden was blessed and declared open with speeches, prayers, waiata, and more thanks to supporters.

The newly-launched Koiri Garden with raised garden beds ready to go. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Following this everyone at the blessing slipped through the gently falling rain to join in with the community meal.

 “Thank you for the land St Paul’s Church. You know I’ve been eyeing it up since we started serving kai at St Paul’s Church,” says Tania. “I will be forever grateful.”

“Last but not least thank you Unsung Pals for the award money that has helped our Koiri garden get off the ground, we could not have done this without you.”