Karen Hepi

Empowering vulnerable youth in Te Tai Tokerau to have a future outside of gangs

Karen Hepi was born into gang culture, living a life surrounded by violence. After a brief visit to Australia, where Karen was exposed to a different lifestyle, she was empowered to create a “new normal” for her and her whānau. Since then, that passion has sparked a drive in her to not just help her family, but her entire community – creating intergenerational change in Te Tai Tokerau region through working with and empowering rangatahi and their whānau.

Karen Hepi is the Kaikohe Future Leaders Coach, a role in which she delivers youth projects and initiatives for her region, and empowers rangatahi to contribute positively to their community. She is also a whānau and youth development manager in Moerewa with He Iwi Kotahi Tatou Trust, and advocates for youth development on various governance boards.

Karen believes that even if we come from broken homes, backgrounds and lifestyles, we can still rise up and use those situations as the motivation to do better and be better for not only ourselves but for our next generation.

Karen Hepi was born in Whangarei, raised in Moerewa and now residing in Kaikohe.  She is currently studying criminology and youth justice, and hopes to one day become a judge. She is the eldest of four and an aunt to two beautiful nieces.