The RAW Impact journey begins while the women are still serving their sentence. The community that RAW is building and nurturing inside the prison is laying down a foundation of hope, ambition, respect and leadership, which is critical to their rehabilitation, reintegration on release.
“New Zealand (and their whānau) need these women to leave prison feeling healthier, wiser, more independent and more hopeful around their future prospects. Only then will we truly break the intergenerational cycles of crime and abuse. Prison provides the vehicle for this transition to take place but not the culture. External programmes like RAW are critical to shifting the culture from apathy and resignation to hope and ambition.
We are building a community of wahine who can lead themselves
and their whānau to a better life.”
BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN
Every week, external subject matter experts in wellbeing, entrepreneurship, skill building and/or craft run a lifestyle learning workshop inside the prison. The RAW community contribute to the selection, and organisation of each workshop and therefore participation rates are high. RAW has also spearheaded the launch of a fully-funded, entry-level entrepreneur’s paper, run by Waikato University.
We are building hope, purpose and a toolkit for RAW women and their tamariki to prosper.
“During the last month, a wave of positivity has crashed down upon these women. They’re bubbling with excitement and focused on themselves. It’s super cool witnessing the love and support the women are offering each other as a result of the belief and hope you have given us. It’s huge – these women were so sour and now they’re so bright.”
SHANNON
