While New Zealand managed Covid-19 with care in 2020, we still recorded the highest rate of homelessness of any country among wealthy OECD nations.
K’ Road Chronicles is a webseries that allows us to hear directly from the people living on the margins of society and those with a passion to help and support them. In Season 2, as the pandemic takes hold, host and journalist Six, gives us her unique take on poverty, homelessness, and life on the streets.
Six’s knowledge on these subjects is equal parts ‘lived experience’ from being homeless herself on Auckland’s iconic Karangahape Road and the daily interactions with the many colourful characters within the community she knows and writes about. These people trust Six to share their very personal stories.
Covid-19 and the streets
Staying at home during a pandemic is clearly a problem if you haven’t got a home. This episode explores the unique problems Covid-19 posed for both the homeless community and those seeking to help them.
Waka of Caring
At an amazing drop in centre in South Auckland, an unlikely love story shows how people’s lives can be transformed by the power of a community that cares
Open Arms, Whangārei
A trip to Whangārei provides an unexpected challenge to Six when she meets Carmen who used to live in a park. Now housed, Carmen is giving back to the community although Six is surprised to hear how much she misses her old life.
Rainbow Youth and Jacques
Jacques is a 17 year-old trans male who found himself couch surfing after life at home became intolerable. Six, herself transgender, finds a lot to talk about with this young man who with the right support, is turning his life around.
Wiremu
When living on the street Wiremu weighed a massive 280kgs, was an addict, and about to die. All that changed when he met Linda, a social worker from the Auckland City Mission.
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Hidden homelessness
More and more young people are ending up without a place to live and it is a problem that often goes unnoticed. We meet a young man whose life has changed completely thanks to the work of a team focussed on youth homelessness.
Housed
Sammy was a sex worker when she lived on the streets. Six and Sammy reminisce about the times they spent together living on the streets as they revisit their old haunts. Six also reunites with Keith who met in Series 1, who is now looking to give back to the community he came from.
By Six
Season Two of K' Road Chronicles picks up roughly eighteen months since season one screened.
Since we were last on screen my street publication the series is based on, The K’ Road Chronicle is pumping and my biggest problem is keeping up with demand. Thanks to continued support from the wider community the newspaper is expanding into new media and planning a Queen Street edition with an eye on a future publication for Hamilton.
If we can clone the success of the paper to date, I see no reason why we can't take community journalism to North Korea. Am I joking? Maybe. Maybe not.
So I'm high on success and nothing seems impossible. The new series is funded by NZ On Air and just as the production team is ready to roll cameras on season two, Covid-19 hits.
My immediate concern is for the rough sleepers we met on our research trips, and am saddened to hear of the death of one of our guides in Whangārei - not from Covid, but tragically between lockdowns before we could return to interview her. Her name was Lofty and she was an inspiration to the town’s street whānau. We’ve dedicated what would have been Lofty’s episode to her.
Season two is a testament to how resourceful and generous people can be. Even one person can make a difference; like Debbie…
We meet Debbie at Waka of Caring, a drop in centre, food and clothing bank in Manurewa. Debbie is a former school teacher who started feeding the homeless in her community. Troy is a recovering addict and recently proposed marriage to Debbie. Together they run their free store in a block of shops providing everything including coffee or kai, dresses or diapers. Their story is inspiring.
Throughout this season we meet people overcoming huge obstacles and turning their lives around. As well, we meet some incredible people providing help, services and support to help them on their journeys.
This season is full of hope, resilience and courage.
During the pandemic homelessness was briefly solved. We now know we can solve homelessness. But emergency housing is not a long term solution.
It has been a privilege and a pleasure to bring you these stories. Some of what you see you’ll love. Some of what you see you’ll hate. Love them or hate them, I hope they make you think enough to make a difference.
Poverty itself is a pandemic, but maybe we can cure it with a virus. A virus of kindness.
We can all change the world, with just one kind deed at a time.
Credits
Photography: Lawrence Smith
Design and Development: John Harford
Editor: John Hartevelt
Videos:
Journalist/Presenter: Six
Director/Editor: Paul Oremland
Production Manager/Researcher: Ella Wells (Ngāti Toa Rangatira)
Director of Photography: Sjaak te Brake (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki)
Commissioning Editor: Carol Hirschfeld
Producer: Brian Holland
Executive Producer: Juanita Edwards
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