The Realist Project is excited to collaborate with The Compassion Project Rarotonga (CPR) to organise a ‘Wellness Day’ in support of CPR’s efforts to build their ‘Hub’.

The Wellness Day will take place on October 23 at 10am in Vaimaanga and is open to any men and women who are keen to come together to make a change in improving the wellbeing of themselves and those around them through networking. The Realist Project says members of the community wanting to donate any items such as pens, paper, water bottles or food were welcome to do so. Any money donations will go towards the building of CPR’s Hub.

The Realist Project, started last year by Rarotonga couple Reikorangi and Meri-Ana Ellison, is a podcast which focuses on people’s stories and serves as an open platform for people to share wisdom and things that encourages them every day.   

“I want to focus on everyday people like myself. I’m just a dad trying his best for my wife, kids and himself,” said Reikorangi Ellison.

Inspired by CPR’s values and mission statement, the Realist Project decided to run the Wellness Day to help the Rarotonga-based group’s efforts to build their ‘Hub’.

“We appreciate what they are doing to help the community,” Ellison said. He shared that the two organisations have been talking about doing a Wellness Day for some time now and were excited to finally bring the idea to life.

The Wellness Day will cover areas such as breath work, energy work, journaling, a gentle hike, swim and a shared kaikai to finish the day off.

“The purpose of the day is to share our tools but also learn from others about their own experiences and knowledge in self-development. It’s not about how many people turn up. This is us coming together to normalise, supporting each other and that toxic masculinity is way past its use by date,” Ellison said.

Reikorangi and Meri-Ana Ellison, founders of the Realist Project, are aiming to get their podcast to 100 listeners by the end of the year. 21101813

Sammy Mataroa, founder of CPR, says their team is excited for this partnership with The Realist Project.

“I am truly thankful to the Realist Project team for acknowledging how important The Hub is for our entire nation. Their Wellness Day will be something different for our people,” Mataroa said. “There are a lot of people who suffer from trauma. This Wellness Day will be the beginning to an end of many horrific events that have caused trauma to so many of our people. It’s the beginning of a healing journey to becoming survivors and not victims, and being given valuable tools to take away and apply in life events as well as ways to deal with triggers.”

The Hub is being earmarked as a place of peace and sanctuary for anyone struggling and “needs somewhere to go”.