A GOOD THING

One of the most destructive trends of the last fifty years on whānau has been the increasing dependence on outside institutions to take care of what is rightly whānau business.

About the same time as this trend got its start, my grandparents and their adult children started a kaupapa. They set up a kōmiti whānau to pool their skills, experiences, ideas, money, time and other resources, so they could take care of their own business.

Time went by and the adult grandchildren joined the mix, then the great-grands and great-great-grands as well. In fact, everyone born, married or adopted into the whānau was included in the kōmiti; as long as they contributed something.

They have never gone to outside funders and have never legalised themselves. But they do get their accounts audited annually and independently, and they do hold annual meetings where they review the past, plan for the future, and pick their chair, secretary and treasurer.

There’s been many chairs, secretaries and treasurers over the years. All have had two things in common; they are known to be kind of tight with their own resources, and they can be relied upon to be even tighter with those of the kōmiti whānau.

Initially the whānau, specially the bulk who were living in Auckland, ran housies, raffles and batons-up to raise funds. These were as much about getting together for fun and good times, as to make money. Eventually they set an annual subscription that was affordable even on the lowest incomes.

To date the money has been used to support all sorts of whānau events or causes. There’s only one condition; before anyone can take out, they first have to have put in.

That initial kōmiti has now multiplied by division, because there are hundreds of living descendants, and many of the adults have started their own kōmiti whānau. These are run along the same lines as the original one, but each have their own focus on how and why they use their resources. That may change over the years, depending on circumstances. At one time it may be education (textbooks, fees, uniforms, etc). At another time it may be recreation (travel, equipment, accommodation, etc). Later it may be health (eyes, teeth, hips, etc).

The concept of kōmiti whānau is universally applicable, and its value is far wider than just the money raised and used under it. In fact its true value is that it reduces dependence on outside institutions, like the state or iwi corporates, and increases love and trust in whānau.

In my view, anything that does that is a good thing.