Transforming a life of crime into a life of promise
RAW’s mission is to surround disadvantaged women emerging from an incarcerated environment with all the skills, confidence, and support they need to turn a life of crime into a life of promise.
Based in the Waikato, RAW was founded by Annah Stretton in 2014 and, together with her sister Rebecca, is helping to break New Zealand’s intergenerational cycles of offending, domestic and sexual abuse, poverty, under-education and inequality that exists for growing numbers of disadvantaged women and their families.
RAW On the Outside
RAW’s comprehensive support model involves the provision of safe accommodation, mentoring and community partnerships that enable each parolee to gain an education, find meaningful employment, rebuild relationships with children and family, and ultimately achieve emotional and financial and prosperity.
Creating a culture of hope and ambition for a better future
Five years on our goal remains the same – to help disadvantaged women find their place in the world, fulfil their potential, and be the role model that their children and New Zealand needs them to be – but we have expanded our remit.
RAW On the Inside
In 2018, we launched RAW On the Inside at Auckland Regional Women’s Corrections Facility in an effort to create a culture of hope and ambition for a better future earlier in a woman’s rehabilitation journey. Our efforts to date include the introduction of weekly lifestyle and education programmes that provide a stepping stone to our plan to introduce more structured and vocational learning opportunities in 2019.
To find about more about RAW download our infographic or visit www.raw.org.nz.