We are so proud of Season-Mary as she is A finalist for the Women of Influence Awards in the Community and Not for Profit section 2018. Season was nominated for her role in establishing the kaupapa/charity Tukau Community and Clothing which focuses on empowering our local communities of Moerewa and Kawakawa.
Some of the kaupapa Tukau do include:
- the charity clothing line which has produced over 12,000 items of clothing based on our tupuna legacies, traditional knowledge and Maori language.
- Tukau helped raise the consciousness of period poverty and affordability of sanitary products. Tukau has worked to address the issues of period poverty and environmental sustainability and sought to empower women locally by providing over 2400 menstrual cups to women and girls in Te Tai Tokerau. This saves each women on average $240 per year in the cost of sanitary products, a 3.9kg (per woman, per year) of waste is diverted from landfills as reusable sanitary products are no longer used by women. Times this by 2400 women and that is having a massive impact every month and year. @MyCupNZ
- The Tukau team also run community winter dinners, a community Christmas lunch and food hampers, community Easter, giving a Taonga Tuku Iho onesie to every baby born at the Bay of Islands hospital and other events focussed on raising community spirits in Moerewa and Kawakawa. Tukau sponsors numerous community events in Te Tai Tokerau.
- Tukau employs 4 staff including 3 young women from Bay of Islands College who manage the clothing and are learning a lot about social enterprise.
- On top of that Tukau is growing a permanent fund, that once the target is reached, will be administered to support the aspirations and needs our local communities of Moerewa and Kawakawa.
Season was nominated by Miranda Shackell. We are so proud of Season and the Tukau kaupapa. It was established in February 2017 and has already had such a huge influence. Season does this while volunteering on other boards, studying, running the law firm with Chelsea, and looking after me.
It’s by the community for the community! It involves thousands of volunteer hours form the team of community volunteers.
Thank you Season-Mary for all that you do for your community!