Meda’s Story

From Rough Sleeping and Pregnant – to Housed and Hopeful

Meda first came to DCM in 2016 – pregnant, and rough sleeping on the streets of Wellington. It has been a long journey for Meda – but she is in a good place now, in her own home, and doing well.

Meda was born far away from the streets of Wellington, in Hong Kong, but she is a true Wellingtonian at heart, her parents having moved the family to Strathmore when Meda was three years old. She grew up in a home she describes as “a house filled with love”, with two half-sisters, and one brother. The family enjoyed many trips around New Zealand, and Meda recalls being very active as a child.

“As a kid I enjoyed everything from running through to swimming – especially building tree houses! My childhood was full of outdoorsy stuff. I enjoyed school and I liked my teachers.”

Meda bounced around a bit after her mum and dad split, and many years later she found herself living with her aunty. Unfortunately she was kicked out of the house at that time, and became homeless, living on the streets of Wellington with nowhere to go.

“That was really hard – not a pleasant experience at all,” Meda says. But despite ending up on the streets, Meda always speaks positively about the city of Wellington. “I love Wellington and the people. The community is so nice and welcoming.”

It was a Wellington street friend who told Meda about DCM. “Someone said, ‘If you go down there they might be able to help you out.’ So I did.”

It was around this time that Meda discovered she was pregnant. She was able to get into emergency housing, but a week before she was due to give birth, she found out that the courts had decided to uplift her baby once he was born.

Losing her son was heart-breaking for Meda, and she describes it as being “the trigger for my trauma”. Meda shares that it led her to drink, and she no longer took very good care of herself.

But in the midst of all this, Meda continued to work with DCM.

“DCM has supported me in so many different ways,” says Meda. “I’ve seen the dentist a few times, popped in to see the Te Aro Health nurses, received food support and I was also on DCM’s money management service for a while until I got my own bank account. I was really proud when I got that – it felt like a big thing.”

Meda speaks positively of her experiences of DCM. “You can come in every morning, which is nice. They provide a safe space for an hour or two. It’s a really great place to visit, and I’m always able to catch up with people I haven’t seen for a while, and meet cool new people too. Sometimes DCM puts on a meal in the courtyard, and that’s always enjoyable, but the Matariki hāngī was the best!”

Sometimes it’s the little things that count. When Meda reflects back on the years of support from DCM, one of her favourite memories is of a woman greeting her by name, giving her a cup of coffee and a muesli bar each morning. This woman was DCM kaimahi Joanne, who made Meda feel appreciated and remembered – “On the streets people don’t appreciate you or even remember you,” Meda says.

DCM’s Aro Mai Housing First team helped Meda get into her own place, and continues to provide support so that she can thrive in her whare. Meda has made some friends in her new community and is loving this new feeling of independence, but she also appreciates being part of the wider ‘DCM family’.

Best of all, Meda has been able to see her son. “It wasn't until I was housed and feeling a bit more stable that I was finally able to see him. A highlight for me was when I was able to see him for his 5th birthday.”

Meda maintains regular contact and is able to see her son from time to time.

“I’ve achieved a lot in the last year, getting my act together – and along the way I’ve developed a real passion for health and wellbeing. In the year ahead, I’d like to do some studies. I am proud of how far I have come, and I have plans and a lot of hope for the future.”

Photo shoot by Gabrielle McKone.

Update, October 2022: Meda is now working as kaiāwhina at DCM, primarily in our busy Foodbank. Kaiāwhina undertake peer training and use their life experiences to share their knowledge and skills, and inspire others.

We're proud of you Meda! Keep up the great mahi!