Ministry of Social Development — Change Is Possible
It’s been amazing spending time with three men who are redefining what mental health and masculinity look like in today’s changing world.
Across three films they tell their stories of growth, trauma, loss and success as they navigated the phases of adulthood. Each finding their own unique way to influence change in people’s lives.
Bringing these stories to light for the Ministry of Social Development was a project we were stoked to put ourselves behind, helping to support the next generation of young people who find themselves facing similar struggles.
Luke Tiller - ex Intelligence / youth worker
Luke is a youth worker and community consultant living in Wairarapa with his young family. He spends time with local support groups helping fathers deal with the anxiety and pressures of parenthood.
After working most of his life in intelligence and high stress government roles, Luke found himself at an impasse between spending time with his growing family, and the increasing burden of his professional life.
We heard from Luke about reaching the end of his tether, becoming distant from his youngest daughter, and how mindfulness put him on a new path of self discovery.
“Self awareness is mindfulness, it’s being mindful of how your environment is affecting you emotionally, physically”
“All those emotions that I had packed away and suppressed, they caught up with me”
Raniera Rewiri - online coach / content creator
Raniera hails from Whakatāne on the East coast of Aotearoa. A father and husband who is hugely passionate about personal development, health and well-being, business and his identity as Māori.
Raniera uses his online platform to connect with young people across the motu, relating to them with his own struggles with relationships, alcohol, and mental health.
Using martial arts as an outlet to focus his emotions in a constructive way, he talked to us about how the found the strength to overcome the intense personal challenges he faced as a young man, and his new life using those experiences to effect change in others.
“... if you aren’t willing to change, you’re going to get the same outcome, time and time again”
“There are men out there who are already changing. They just need a window of courage to step into”
