26/03/2026
Tēnā koutou katoa,
Ko Alee Jones tōku ingoa.
He uri ahau nō Te Arawa, nō Ngāti Whakaue, nō Ngāti Pikiao.
He uri hoki ahau nō Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, nō Hikarukutai, nō Ngāti Horomoana.
He whaea hoki ahau, ā, he tangata kua tipu ake i roto i ngā wero o te ao. Nā aua wheako i whakakaha i taku ngākau ki te tautoko i ā tātou rangatahi.
For a long time I’ve carried something on my heart for our rangatahi.
Because I was once that kid.
At 14 I was sent to youth prison in Christchurch, hours away and a whole plane trip from my family, with no confidence and no real guidance around me. Growing up I never felt heard, and I didn’t know how to deal with what I was carrying inside. Violence became the way I handled everything.
I was in and out of cells and youth court, making decisions that were very normalised within my whānau at the time (shoplifting, assaults, violence). I became a young mum at 15 and still felt like I was trying to find my place in the world myself.
Looking back now, I can see I wasn’t a bad kid. I was a kid without support, direction, or someone to walk beside me.
And if there is one thing I wish I had heard while growing up, it would be this:
You matter.
Your voice matters.
And your life has a pathway forward.
When I was 19, I lost my baby boy.
There was so much love I never got the chance to pour into him as he grew. Over time I’ve come to understand that the love I carry for him didn’t disappear, it became part of the reason I feel so strongly called to stand beside our rangatahi today.
The love I have for my son now lives in the way I want to support our young people to feel seen, heard, and valued.
That’s why I’ve started Te Ara o Te Whetū Rangatahi Programme.
Today I walk a different path, one grounded in strength, growth, discipline, and purpose and I want our rangatahi to know they can walk one too.
This kaupapa is for our rangatahi who feel unheard. The ones who are strong but don’t know it yet. The ones who just need someone to believe in them and show them another pathway forward.
Te Ara o Te Whetū supports rangatahi aged 8–15 to grow confidence, discipline, identity, and connection in a safe and supportive space.
Because sometimes one safe place and one steady adult can change everything.
Registrations for our first intake are now open.
Click the Sign Up button at the top of the page or message me directly to enrol your rangatahi, as I prefer registrations to come through this way rather than drop-ins. First intake the first Tuesday of June 2026
Ngā mihinui
Alee
