Shirley Afoa – Papakura
As a mother of 7 and grandmother of 15, I have lived in Papakura for the last 47 years. My journey as a grandmother raising grandchildren began in 2014 when my eldest son passed away from cancer. He was a single dad at the time because the children's mother had already passed away. I had just recently become a widow, so it was a hard time for me. That's when I found Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and joined the Pukekohe group.
After a year, I became the Support Group Coordinator for Pukekohe. Recognising the great need in South Auckland, I started the Papakura Support Group.
To find out more about the Papakura Support Group, get in touch with our national office.