Ko Tohoraha te maunga
Ko Araiwa te awa
Ko Kurahaupo te waka
Ko Ngāti Kurī te iwi
Ko Waiora te marae
I whānau mai au i Pukenui
Ko James rāua ko Chrissy ōku mātua
Ko Jenson tōku tane
Ko Pūmanawa tōku tama
Ko Nellie Josephine Rahiri ahau
My upbringing was one to remember. Every hitchhiker that had nowhere to stay was always welcomed into our whare, fed, and cared for. All young people who just simply needed to be loved knew they had a place they could come to for food, advice, and to ground themselves. People of every age, ethnicity, and background were welcome, understood, and nurtured. Through my parents loving others, I was able to learn how to do the same. Have you ever walked into a room and felt instantly loved? This is the affect kindness can have.
The Kindness Company is more than just telling people to be kind. It means living a kind life.
The Kindness Project originated from @thehappinessprojectaotearoa and @heahurumowai. The original logo was to signify the merging of these two kaupapa.
Our logo was the combination of ĀM for Āhuru Mowai and THP for The Happiness Project.
Originally The Kindness Project started as a mother daughter project which is now run by two best friends. Our aim was and still is to create a kind world. We are a brand encouraging kindness to grow in all spaces of life and simultaneously dismantling negative societal norms. Whoever you are, treat this place like you are in our whare. We hope you feel loved, spiritually and mentally fed, and cared for. You are welcome here. No matter your background, how old, or what ethnicity. Our only rule is, BE KIND.
Ko Kahuranaki te maunga
Ko Tukituki te awa
Ko Tākitimu te waka
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga te iwi
Ko Ngāti Ngarengare, Ngāti Papatuamāro, Ngāti Tamatera me Ngāti Te Rehunga ngā hapū
Ko Houngarea te marae
Nō te Pakipakitanga-a-Hinetemoa ahau
Ko Maddison Jade Gerbes ahau.
High School left me with many fond memories but one I'll remember for a lifetime was the saying my form teacher ritually told us every morning, “Be kind out there”. These simple four words changed my perspective in life since the day that I walked into her class. Since then I have used this saying on many and various occasions. Becoming the Co-Owner of the Kindness Project has become the craziest, coolest, and most beautiful thing I've ever embarked on. I've never seen the kindness project as ‘work’ but as a privilege to be a part of a platform that step by step is encouraging people to practise Kindness. So remember to “Be kind out there.”
Love Maddi x
