Project Hoake

Project Hoake is an initiative to support whānau-led businesses on East Cape, led by Te Aroha Kanarahi Trust’s Ani Pahuru-Huriwai and Arlou Brooking.  Project Hoake has a vision of “grassroots to global”using a “locals supporting locals” approach.

The initiative started in 2019, has received three year’s collaborative funding from Todd Foundation, J R McKenzie Trust, Te Muka Rau, Tindall Foundation and Trust Tairāwihti.

Highlights

• Ten new businesses have started up and their services include providing healthy meals delivered to homes and schools, dumpling making, a coffee cart, whakairo (carving), video editing, apparel production and silver-smithing.
• Progress pre-COVID-19 was stellar, as below, but COVID-19 has had a significant impact
• With businesses mostly unable to operate during lock-down, energy was harnessed instead for community support, including delivering food to whānau and supporting the check points.
• The challenge ahead is to rebuild post COVID-19