Toi Matarua provides purpose for Napier rangatahi

Raised by her mother and grandmother following the death of her dad, Charlizza Matehe’s strong sense of identity has led to a career helping at-risk teens. And she’s found incredible support in MAS Foundation. 

There’s a photo of Charlizza Matehe as a girl, taken at Halloween. She’s wearing a costume home-made by her mum – a red sundress, white gloves up to her elbows, and a crown. “I’m about 7, I think,” says Charlizza (Ngāti Kahungunu), “and I’m posing with my arm up in the air, because I’m a fairytale princess. And I’m so happy. I’m completely oblivious to the fact I’m in social housing, there’s no money, there’s gang activity around me and family violence on my street.” 

Charlizza grew up enveloped in love, in a cul-de-sac in the Napier suburb of Maraenui. Her father took his own life when Charlizza was just 3, but the strength and mauri of her mum Sally and grandmother Waka meant she “didn’t feel the sting” of the suicide that she might have otherwise. “They created a bubble of safety around me,” Charlizza, 31, says. “I always say that while my upbringing looks bad on paper, the way I was carried through by my mum and nan was awesome.” 

And that’s exactly what Charlizza does now for rangatahi (youth) in her community, through her charity Toi Matarua. Together with a small team, and Sally and Waka never far away, this inspirational young māmā spearheads research into the impact of suicide on Māori youth and provides a safe and nurturing physical space to gather, grow and give back. 

A talented performer as a teen, Charlizza initially wanted to “make films like Taika Waititi”, and while living in Wellington she established a theatre company as part of a Bachelor of Youth Development at WelTec. Travelling to schools, the 2Face Drama troupe knitted anti-suicide messaging into each performance, but after another death in the whānau – this time Charlizza’s sister-in-law – she made a change. “I realised I was pouring all my resources, time, experience and energy into helping these young people when my own community back home was suffering,” says Charlizza. 

She returned to Napier, and it was here that Toi Matarua was born. The organisation is many things. It’s an indigenous research agency first, following tikanga (protocol) to unearth valuable insights into what makes young Māori tick and what will foster belonging, drive advancement and secure their safety. 

“The biggest protective factor you can give an indigenous young person is their identity,” says Charlizza. 

Leading the way for rangatahi 

Toi Matarua also acts as a rangatahi-led facility, based in a huge green metal shed on Charlizza’s property, where young people come to connect and explore their whakapapa, doing everything from laying down hāngī, to learning pepeha, to growing and harvesting corn and kūmara. 

“Māori suicide rates are high,” explains Charlizza. “If our rangatahi are not already affected by it, it’s almost a given that they will be in their lifetime. We share tools so that if it does eventually happen within their whānau, they can navigate their grief, they can find their networks, they can spend time on marae and they can cope. We only have them for such a short time – typically between 13 and 18 years of age. We want them to know what to do at 20, or 50, if they find themselves in dark times.” 

With the support of MAS Foundation, whose values align “so strongly” with Charlizza’s work, a programme called Passion Projects was launched in 2022. 

“We wanted to explore what would happen if young people were given everything they needed to solve community problems that hadn’t yet been addressed,” says Charlizza. 

Building confidence and connections 

Finding funding for anything in the youth suicide space had always been challenging, she reflects, particularly when the only accepted marker for success is a child who is still alive. But MAS Foundation’s high-trust operating model allowed her and the team to lead a powerful kaupapa that could move and flex without rigid structures or pre-determined outcomes. 

And the projects, entirely conceived of and directed by the young people at Toi Matarua, are an inspiration. There is a journalism initiative called Pākuru Pānui (breaking news) where rangatahi as young as 14 have secured a monthly column in local paper ‘Hawke’s Bay Today’, covering significant events including “everything from Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi to interviews with prominent Kiwi.” A podcast is in the planning stages. 

Another Toi Matarua Passion Project is MokoBoys, a collective of teens who help kaumātua (elders) with tasks they can’t easily manage themselves, from figuring out their smartphone to mowing lawns. It fosters connection across the community, says Charlizza, and provides a small income to the kids who participate. “For some of our rangatahi, MokoBoys is the only contact they might have with a grandparent figure,” she continues. “It’s really cool to see intergenerational relationships grow.” 

Charlizza, now a mother to 4-month-old daughter Hiwa-i-te-rangi with husband Wiari, says it’s that connection across generations that has secured her sense of identity and commitment to this important mahi. Sally, now an integrative health specialist, lives on-site, while Waka is a few minutes’ away. 

“The beauty of an intergenerational household is that I’ve been able to keep working,” says Charlizza, who is completing her PhD in Indigenous Advancement focused on youth suicide prevention. “The mahi is just part of our lifestyle, and I feel blessed to do it every day.” 

What’s next for Toi Matarua?  

Having introduced a social enterprise aspect to the organisation as a further income stream, rangatahi are making and selling Bokashi composting bins and kawakawa balm, learning vital life and business skills. The sense of pride the teens take in their work is palpable, and so is Charlizza’s. 

“Since we started our programmes, there have been no suicides among any graduates, any alumni, any young person that’s come through us. We know this is working for our young people,” she says. “Now I just need to finish my PhD, so that my life’s work is all written down for somebody else to pick up and use somewhere else in New Zealand.” 

Strong support from MAS Foundation 

Dr Julie Wharewera-Mika (Head of Foundation) says, “Empowering rangatahi-led solutions is about equipping young people with the tools, confidence and freedom to shape their own futures. When given the trust and autonomy to lead, rangatahi not only tackle challenges but evolve into resilient leaders. The groundbreaking work at Toi Matarua exemplifies the transformative impact of rangatahi-led innovation in addressing the most pressing community challenges.” 

“Toi Matarua successfully created a small thriving ‘system’ that has involved 4 generations of her kāinga (whānau), a rare find amongst Māori and Pasifika, who have relatively shorter life expectancies,” says Mafi Funaki-Tahifote (Head of Foundation). “MAS Foundation is humbly privileged to have shared in this vā (relationship) and journey. We look forward to witnessing more success stories from Toi Matarua as it navigates forward for systems impact in many more generations to come.” 

Head to the MAS Foundation grants page to read about the organisations that benefit from their support.