Despite the dramatic growth of women’s incarceration in recent years, few resources have been directed to meeting the reentry needs of women leaving prison. With the percentage of drug or alcohol-addicted women in prison far outweighing that of men, Pathway Trust launched the South Island’s only residential drug and alcohol centre for women - He Kete Oranga o te Mana Wāhine, a Women’s Basket of Wellness - in 2019.
Operating in partnership with Odyssey House, wāhine are at the Pathway Retreat in Motukarara for 16 weeks before re-entering the community with our support for a further 36 weeks. In the community, our Navigators provide assistance with housing, WINZ and helping to facilitate study and employment aspirations.
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At one point in her life, Mel needed drugs to function. Now, she’s the one supporting others struggling with the shackles of addiction.
When she was young, life was grim. Her father wasn’t around and her mother was in an on/off relationship with an abusive partner. Every day was traumatic. Three stints in jail between 2012 and 2019 didn’t curb her addictions, until the option of going through He Kete came along.
