The Pu o te Hau shelter has been welcoming Polynesian women in distress for 30 years. Minarii Chantal Galenon, the president of the Women’s Council, dreams of an extension project.
In the suburbs of Papeete, the Pu o te Hau shelter has been in existence since 1993. Victims of domestic or intra-family violence and their children can stay there for three months to rebuild their lives. Up to 40 people are accommodated in twelve rooms. Minarii Chantal Galenon, president of the Women’s Council, explains: “When they are in distress, they must have a place where they can take refuge. This centre allows them to be safe. Often when they arrive, they can sleep for three days.”
The bars in front of the windows protect them and they regain confidence through activities such as gardening, cooking, self-defence classes or sewing. They even created cloth masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. The children themselves can benefit from homework help and theatre workshops. “Then we have the reconstruction phase. This involves dialogue, discussion with psychologists, sometimes doctors.” Then, little by little, a personal life project is set up.
The team of 12 employees, managed and paid by the Women’s Council, accompanies them in all humility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in their work, training and housing search. “The objective of the Women’s Council is to promote their economic autonomy so that in the future they can create small family businesses.”
Their victories are silent, like this building with pink walls, where there is a perfume of serenity. For Minarii Chantal Galenon, “when the women leave the centre they are rebuilt. Each one of them leaves us a story that moves us, that marks us. We can’t remain without emotion.”
In 2018, the centre took in 185 women and 288 children, but still nearly 140 women and children had to be turned away. “We are victims of our success, some women are on a waiting list.” That’s why an extension project is underway.
“We’ve been thinking about an extension of the center with the support of the State and the country.”
The aim is to be able to take in more people in distress, but also to create a dialogue between the generations with the creation of a unit for retired women. The transmission of knowledge and experience will be integrated into the reconstruction therapy for women.
Minarii Chantal Galenon also wants to create a place that can host conferences, bring together associations and sell women’s crafts. “It is necessary to go further with the solidarity economy because they are creators of many products: jars of jam, pastries, woven baskets or Tifaifai.” For women who need more time to rebuild, a last building will receive the longest stays in small independent studios.
This ambitious project of 165 million francs will receive aid from the country, and further funding is still being sought to complete it.
This extension of the Pu o te Hau centre is very important for the President of the Women’s Council. It could allow to reconnect with the beautiful Polynesian values. “Individualism is not in the Polynesian spirit. The Polynesian spirit is community, being together to achieve projects. It’s saying to yourself that without community, without solidarity, you can’t succeed.”
Next in Episode 4: Mahina’s Portrait
Photo credit : Danee Hazama
Supported by Air Tahiti Nui
Océane Segura
