Christmas is often a season of joy and cheer for most families, but for Musika’s Gift co-founders Vene Manutai-Esau and his wife Diana, it’s a season that reminds them of a tragedy that shaped their lives forever.
When Vene’s younger brother, Musika Manutai, suffered an unexpected death in 2014, the couple found comfort in the outpouring of kindness from their community.
In 2018, they decided to reciprocate that love for their community by creating Musika’s Gift.
Musika’s Gift was created to honour the life of Musika – who was not defined by the way he died, but by the person he was.
“Sika was such a popular kid, but I don’t think he realised how much he was loved,” Diana says.
His funeral, attended by many, was a testament to the impact he had on those around him, but it was also a painful reminder of the lack of awareness and support surrounding mental health.
“I guess for us, that’s why we started Musika’s Gift. We wanted to start a line of communication about mental health and the struggles people go through,” Diana says.
“When he died 10 years ago, the conversation around mental health was completely different to what it is now.
“We’ve got so many organisations talking about mental health, particularly young PI boys and Māori boys and the mental health struggles that they have.”
Although it’s been a decade since his passing, Musika’s presence is still deeply missed.
“I miss that he hasn’t seen our kids grow up,” Diana says.
“I just miss the laughs, we had some pretty rad family times together… I miss being able to sit at a table and have a meal and have some laughs with him.”
A community-driven charity, Musika’s Gift primarily operates on donations from its supporters.
Every year, they set out to raise up to $40,000 to go towards food hampers, gifts and essential supplies to help relieve pressure off families during a time of hardship. One of their key partners is Sander’s Pharmacy. Additionally, they collaborate with Kainga Ora and Kids in Need Waikato. Their local play centre and day care also lend a hand by reaching out to their own networks to gather non-perishable goodies or donated items.
“Even our local supermarket helps out,” Vene says.”
“They put up a stand for people to donate non-perishable goods if they wish and that’s been going for a couple of years.”
Their community goes beyond just donating, they also help with packing and delivering.
Musika’s old rugby team, his family and friends, along with a bunch of strangers who are willing to make a change all help pack the hampers the day before it’s rolled out.
Musika’s Gift is a clear example of the power of community. What started off with only 5 hampers in their first year has now grown immensely to over 200.
Vene and Diana initially packed their hampers from the comfort of their home in Te Awamutu. But thanks to close friends Natalie and Chris, they offered a space in their auto restoration warehouse ‘Bad Penny’, in Hamilton, to be the hub for Musika’s Gift.
Their goal is to deliver 300 hampers this Christmas.
The hampers go to households that have been nominated by the public. Nominators remain anonymous and the nominees are individuals or families that are coping with the loss of a loved one to suspected suicide.
Vene hopes that by gifting the joy of Musika’s Gift hampers, they are helping to alleviate some pain for families.
“It made the grieving process or the recovery so to speak a lot better,” he says.
“It’s not easy and it never goes away, but it did help a lot so we’re hoping that what we experience through people giving to us, the community giving to us, we can give back to the community and hopefully making the journey after the fact easier for everyone.”
With Christmas just around the corner, Musika’s Gift is gearing up for the big delivery. For Vene and Diana, their long-term goal is to keep the ball rolling long enough for their kids to bear witness to their hard work.
“I want them to experience giving to others who are probably less fortunate than them,” Diana says.
“And for me, I just want to keep Sika’s name alive. I want to remember the people that died from suicide. I want to keep that conversation alive.”
