He grew up in the Glenholme and Fordlands suburbs, and said he knew first-hand which streets needed attention.<\/p>\n
Some streets were \u201cpretty rough\u201d, he said, so the kaupapa (initiative) naturally began there.<\/p>\n
The idea had been brewing for close to a decade.<\/p>\n
Peato and a group of friends had set out waterblasting houses, but their momentum was cut short when Covid-19 arrived.<\/p>\n
Another wave of community action was sparked in 2023 after three suspected suicides occurred in the Fordlands community within a single year.<\/p>\n
Locals marched from Wrigley Rd to Harvest Church on Malfroy Rd, looking for ways to support wh\u0101nau and strengthen the community.<\/p>\n
The clean-up kaupapa resurfaced shortly after, but \u201clife got busy\u201d, Peato said, and momentum again faded.<\/p>\n
Peato worked as a youth mentor, supporting 15- to 24-year-olds from the area with cultural reconnection, goal-setting and pathways into study or work.<\/p>\n
The group talked about ending the year with a fishing charter, which Peato said was a chance to finish strong and put kai on the table.<\/p>\n
He also set them a challenge: why not earn it by giving back to their local streets?<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were all for it,\u201d Peato said.<\/p>\n
Rangatahi giving local streets a spruce-up.<\/p>\n
From there, the rangatahi led the charge, mowing berms across the community, picking up rubbish and taking care of lawns for kaum\u0101tua (older people) along the way.<\/p>\n
On December 10, the group tidied ord Rd, Pullar Place, Irene Place and three kaum\u0101tua\u2019s lawns.<\/p>\n
For Peato, it was about rebuilding a sense of \u201cpride\u201d.<\/p>\n
Working alongside the Fordlands Community Centre and Waiariki Wh\u0101nau Mentoring, he hoped the clean-ups would get the wider community moving in a \u201cbetter direction\u201d together.<\/p>\n
Peato said residents often came out of their homes to thank the group, offer encouragement or drop off cold drinks while the rangatahi worked in the heat.<\/p>\n
For many residents, the sight of young people out caring for the streets had been uplifting, especially heading into the Christmas period, he said.<\/p>\n
Social media feedback had been \u201creally positive\u201d, he said, with locals praising the effort, reassuring them the initiative was \u201cdoing what it\u2019s meant to\u201d.<\/p>\n
The kaupapa was also a way of \u201ctrying to think outside the box\u201d on how to get rangatahi into \u201csustainable employment\u201d, Peato said.<\/p>\n