Mixit is grateful to receive funding support from The Jenkins Foundation to cover the costs of the Mixit van, including maintenance, a driver and support for Mixit’s Core Programme, which runs every Saturday during the school term.
For many young people from former refugee and migrant backgrounds, getting to the studio is the first hurdle. Auckland’s transport system can be overwhelming, expensive and onerous for new Aucklanders, so Mixit offers free transport for them. Families find this essential, as it gives young people freedom and parents peace of mind.
Each week, the Mixit van Hiwa, named by the youth after a Matariki star, the Carrier of Dreams, collects young people from all over Tāmaki Makaurau and brings them to the studio for creative sessions. The Jenkins Foundation’s support keeps her safe, well maintained and on the road, and funds a trusted driver who is a familiar face to everyone on board.
So far this financial year, Term 2 and 4 Core Programmes have had 239 youth engagements. Each one is a young person stepping into a creative space, building confidence, growing life skills and becoming part of a community that has been thriving for 20 years. For many of them, the Mixit van is what made taking part possible.
Hiwa also takes young people beyond the Saturday sessions. She carries them to CultureFest, where Mixit performs on stage and runs an engaging information stall, to the Mixit summer performance project, to the yearly youth leaders retreat and to outreach events and workshops.
“Mixit starts when a young person steps into the Mixit van. One of my best memories of being in the van is the games we play, the chitchat and catch ups, queuing our favourite music tracks and spotting the yellow car. It brings everyone together for real connection instead of time on a phone. Thank you to The Jenkins Foundation trustees for providing free transport across busy Auckland, which is a huge support to whānau from former refugee and migrant backgrounds. It means a young person living anywhere in Tāmaki Makaurau can get to any of our Saturday sessions.”
Kaviesha Abeysinghe, Director, The Mixit Charitable Trust
The Jenkins Foundation’s support is helping to remove the transport barrier and build a community of connected youth.