| 19 T T Hugh de Lacy Henare is from Kahungunu, while Arana is of Nga Puhi/Te Rarawa descent. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Hawke’s Bay Business Awards - Manzis Build 0800 2SPOUT admin@caskspouting.co.nz www.caskspouting.co.nz Proudly supporting Manzis Build A building company dedicated to the lifting of Maori housing standards has been recognised for its work in the 2022 Hawke’s Bay Business Awards. Manzis Build won the Outstanding Community Contribution Award four years after it was founded by Arana and Henare Waapu. Since 2020 the company has been committed to supporting community initiatives that address housing inequities for Maori. Under the Government’s Critical Repairs Programme, Manzis has worked with more than 95 whanau, and have so far carried out 70 extensive bathroom repairs, and other work ranging from re-roofing to fixing guttering and re-building chimneys – all things critical to a safe and healthy house. Manzis is Henare’s middle name, given to him by his father Ruka Waapu, who fondly greeted a small group of close friends as Manzis. Henare is from Kahungunu, while Arana is of Nga Puhi/Te Rarawa descent, brought up in Auckland in a predominantly Pakeha environment who discovered her Maori roots only in her early twenties. “It’s been a bit of a journey discovering my Maori side and finding a balance that’s all-inclusive , but I’m proud of both my Maori and non-Maori heritage,” Arana says. That inclusiveness extends to the operations of Manzis, which is driven by the belief that “everyone deserves to live in a whare that is safe, warm and dry”. “Our overall priority is to participate in projects that have a community benefit,” Arana says. The houses selected for upgrades under the Critical Repairs Programme are owned by the Maori occupants, and requests for assistance are made either direct to Te Puni Kokiri or via referrals through the Child Healthy Homes Team from Te Whatu Ora. Te Puni Kokiri funds contribute towards critical housing repairs as part of its Maori Housing Network to ensure Maori have the improved outcomes of safe, secure and healthy homes and an improved quality of housing. “Often the houses are owned by grandparents who didn’t have the resources to carry out routine maintenance, resulting in their falling into disrepair,” Arana says. However Manzis is not restricted to repairs: its staff of 11 are all experienced in new builds, and that’s the direction Arana and Henare are taking the company. “We’re keen to get in a space with larger projects and new builds,” Arana says. “We’re currently primarily a renovation company but we have lots of new-build experience in the team that we’re keen to put to use.” Arana say that the company brings Maori values – uaratanga - to the building repairs that presently make up most of its work, in the forms of haumaru, ukaipotanga and matauranga. Haumaru acknowledges the physical structure of a house, such as its design and materials, which has been passed down through the generations. Ukaipotanga acknowledges the mauri (life force) of the papa kainga (homestead) beyond its physical structure, whether it has housed many generations or is new or is even a rental. Matauranga represents the importance of skillsets and knowledge, and in practical terms that expresses itself in Manzis’ Licensed Building Practitioner Certificate and its membership of the New Zealand Certified Builders Association. “Matauranga also represents our commitment to aspiring carpenters: whether an apprentice or trade qualified we believe that skill and professional development are ongoing throughout a person’s career,” Arana says. “We strongly believe that investing in yourself supports you and your whanau.” Outstanding community contribution
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