“If I can be that one person for one of these rangatahi… that’s what keeps me going.”

When you meet Ben Huriwai, you are greeted with a big smile and a calm, welcoming energy.

It is the kind of presence that quietly settles a room. The kind that helps rangatahi feel safe enough to slowly let their walls down.

That same calm sits at the centre of his mahi today.

Ben works in one of Barnardos Aotearoa residential care whare – home environments where rangatahi live when they cannot be at home, supported by kaimahi working alongside them and their whānau.

Now in a team lead role, his focus is still firmly on the same place it started – supporting rangatahi to feel seen, supported, and connected to who they are, where they come from, and the whakapapa that shapes them.

He doesn’t describe his career as a straight line. More like a loop that keeps bringing him back to the same kaupapa.

“I suppose there’s always been something about Barnardos… there’s lots of good people within the organisation doing good things… there’s a heart at all levels of Barnardos.”

That sense of heart is what has drawn him back three times.

Grounded in te ao Māori and service

Ben grew up in Ōtautahi Christchurch, beginning his early years in kōhanga reo, grounded in te reo Māori and te ao Māori from a young age.

Culture, community and service were always part of home life.

His mum was a teacher. His dad worked in addictions and mental health. Around him were examples of people showing up for others, especially for tamariki and whānau who were often overlooked.

“There were the kids in our years at school who were the naughty kids or the ones that no one else wanted in their class… but they were all really responsive.”

He remembers watching how connection, patience and consistency changed the way people responded.

That stayed with him.

“I always had a thing for supporting rangatahi… there were a few key people within my life that really helped me get back on the right track. And if I can be that one person for another rangatahi coming through, then yeah, it’s worthwhile.”

Those foundations continue to shape the way he works today – through connection, culture, whānau and relationships.

A journey that kept circling back to rangatahi

Ben applied for his first role at Barnardos Aotearoa with Te Poutama Ārahi Rangatahi, Barnardos’ residential home for boys with at-risk behaviours.

“I applied for that and got it and never really looked back.”

What followed was a career working across different organisations and spaces supporting rangatahi and whānau, from residential care to youth justice and restorative practice.

No matter the role, the focus remained the same.

“I suppose just in all the roles I’ve enjoyed supporting rangatahi at different stages… to give them some hope towards their future.”

Supporting rangatahi beyond the walls of care

Today, Ben leads a residential whare where the mahi is centred on everyday moments that build confidence, connection, and growth for rangatahi.

At the centre of the whare is one young person with a goal of becoming a professional football player. The team has wrapped support around that aspiration – helping him join a club, attend trainings and games, and use sport as a way to build wider life skills like emotional regulation, resilience, and learning to navigate both success and setback.

A key focus in the whare is also keeping rangatahi connected to their whānau, culture and identity. Whānau are not separate from care – they are part of it.

One young person’s nana comes to the whare for dinner, with the rangatahi involved in preparing meals alongside kaimahi.

For Ben, this is a deliberate shift in how care is approached.

“One of the misconceptions is that when a kid comes into care, they’re being taken out of their whānau.”

“It’s really important for me that just because the rangatahi is coming into our care, they are still a part of their whānau.”

That means thinking differently about how connection is maintained – not defaulting to “no”, but asking how things can be made possible safely.

“It’s thinking outside of the box… how can we make this safe for them to attend, rather than it’s not safe for them to attend.”

“We are just a part of their journey… whānau are there for good. They are the connections that will always be there.”

The moments that stay with him

Some of Ben’s most lasting memories are the moments where rangatahi reconnect with who they are, where they come from, and the people around them.

One young woman, deeply unsettled and searching for connection, was taken on a journey north to reconnect with her whakapapa and whenua.

When they arrived at the moana, something shifted.

“She just went and stood like knee deep in the water… she was just a different person.”

No long explanation. Just connection – to whenua, to identity, to something deeper that helped her feel grounded again.

For Ben, moments like these reinforce the importance of culture, whakapapa and belonging in the healing journey of rangatahi.

Why he keeps coming back

Even now, Ben still hears stories about rangatahi from years ago who remember the support they received, or who still stop by asking after him.

But for him, the work has never been about recognition.

“If I can be that one person for one of these rangatahi… that’s what keeps me going.”

And when asked what he wants for every rangatahi he works with, his answer is simple.

“That they are able to stand confidently in themselves, knowing who they are, where they come from… and that they do have mana.”

Supporting rangatahi through connection, culture and care