Our TYMS team...

Robson Tavita

Founder, Head of Advocacy
Robson aims to lead the delivery of catalytic change in the Auckland Community that makes a real difference in the lives of Pasifika and Māori youth and their families.

In his former role as a youth development worker for the NZ Police, Robson frequently came across Pasifika and Māori youth who didn’t have the literacy skills to do something as basic as write an apology letter. The numbers of young people who were unable to read or write stuck with Robson, and in 2010 he established TYMS in memory of his late father, Tuilaepa Ropisone Tavita.

Robson’s Dad Tuilaepa came to New Zealand from the island of Samoa with nothing but his personal self-belief, and dedicated his whole life making sure his family grew up understanding the importance of honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a good work ethic. It is these values that Robson is committed to passing on to the young people that he works with.

Robson holds a Bachelor of Social Practice and a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching. He is currently studying towards a Post Graduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management. Robson has over 30 years of experience working with young people both personally and professionally.

Dale Rasmussen

General Manager, Operations & Finance
Lawyer and former professional rugby player Dale joined TYMS as Operations Manager in early 2015.

Dale has a real passion for helping young people and has been involved in working with youth through initiatives such as the Young Dads programme. He has first-hand experience of mentoring and support and the difference it can make to the lives young people, having been blessed with many role models/mentors and a strong supportive family.
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Mary-Ellen Takie

Practice Manager
Mary-Ellen is a qualified Social Worker and has a Bachelor of Social Practice.

She has a passion for working with families and youth, driven by the dream to see all young people feel safe and loved in their homes, schools, and communities. Mary-Ellen loves creative work and regularly translates this talent into strengths-based programs that ensure young people themselves and their families, teachers and others around them see the 'good and potential' and continue to build on these, rather than the negatives. Her role as the Practice Manager complements this by making certain all our programs and practices are safe and of  a quality standard.
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Mary-Ellen is no stranger to the Waitakere Ranges in West Auckland; she highly recommends it for hiking, especially during the cold winter season.​
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Meet our mentors...

Allen Wesche

Senior Mentor 
Allen was raised in a family who instilled the value of hard work, love and respect for one another, equality and unconditional love for others.

Allen brings these values to his role as an Academic Mentor with TYMS, as well as his life experience in roles as varied as a fabricator and welder, security personnel and, more recently, a stay at home dad. It was during his time as a stay at home dad that Allen developed an interest in child development and the ways in which we can work with children and young people to improve outcomes, and now brings these special skills and knowledge to his role as an academic mentor.
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Richi Vaega

Academic Mentor
Richi is of Samoan descent. He is a qualified Personal Trainer and has a passion for sports, music, and creative arts. Richi wanted to work for TYMS mentoring because he has a dream of living in a world rid of conflict and negativity. Richi believes that in order to achieve this dream, we need to start with our young ones because they are the future. According to Richi, "if we can influence our youth of today to learn and display positive values towards themselves and others around them, then they will grow to be sanguine and optimistic. And with our youth equipped with the knowledge and skills to create peace, harmony, and a life to be happy and proud about, then our future generation and those to come will be overwhelmed with bliss".
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Richi enjoys keeping himself fit (or tries to, at least). If there was one person he'd like to meet from the past, he says it would have to be the Great Muhammad Ali. Richi would like for the Great Boxer to share with him his skills, lessons, values, his tribulations, his encouragement, and everything else that made him the champion that he was. He'd especially like the great Ali to teach him his boxing ring dance moves.

Sai Bhai

Senior Mentor 
Sai has been employed by TYMS as an academic mentor since April 2014. A father of two, Sai has made it his mission to give his own children a better opportunity for education, and to give them a strong, confident start in life by believing in them and giving them the life skills to empower themselves to make good choices.

According to Sai, helping children create better futures is in his DNA. He has held prior positions in logistics and people management, but believes that being a mentor is by far one of the most fulfilling jobs that he has ever been a part of.

Idris Balizi

Academic Mentor
Twenty four year old Idris is of Samoan and Moroccan descent. He was born and raised in West Auckland, which he says had sparked his interest in working with young people in the community, minority groups in particular.

​He says he is a product of his environment, and that it brings him great joy to work in and give back to the community that raised him.

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Benny Anthony 

Academic mentor / Basketball Academy Facilitator
TYMS welcomed Benny to the team in 2019. As an ex professional basketball player, Benny wants to work alongside youth in our communities using his extensive skills in basketball as a tool to bridge the gap. 

Donald Tasi

Academic Mentor
Donald has been employed by TYMS as an Academic Mentor since August 2018.
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He was born and raised in West Auckland and of Samoan descent.
He has been married for 21 years with two beautiful children. 

Donald has been involved in pastoral youth work in the Samoan community in Auckland and Samoa for many years.

He has also been coaching basketball in high school, and reps for the last 5 years and is the current Manurewa High School Head Coach for the U19s senior A team. While coaching basketball, he uses it as a tool to teach life lessons on and off the court about how to become great young men, not just in their families, but most importantly in their community.

Donald transfers his basketball values and life skills into his mentoring role at TYMS.
Donald says he has experienced 1st hand the value of being mentored himself at a young age and believes that mentoring supported him to make positive decisions  growing up. 

Meet our teaching team...

Russell Vaoiva

Head Teacher
​Head Teacher Russel has much experience in assisting young people to achieve academic and personal goals.

Prior to working with TYMS, Russel was an intermediate/secondary school teacher for seven years, working mainly in schools in West and South Auckland.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Organisation Studies; a Master of Arts in geography through the University of Auckland; and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching through AUT.

Robson Tavita

Teacher
Robson holds a Bachelor of Social Practice and a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching.  Robson has over 30 years of experience working with young people both personally and professionally.

Marshall Gass

Teacher
Marshall joined the TYMS team in April 2018. He comes to this career after two decades as a Secondary Teacher in a Catholic College.
Marshall is a qualified scholar with  2 Masters Degrees in Technology Education. English Literature, Teaching and Information Technology. He also has an incomplete PhD. He is a published author listed on Amazon with 16 books of Fiction, Non-fiction and Poetry. He has  a social media readership on Quora, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is nearer to 2million. He enjoys writing and academic pursuits as much as he enjoys teaching.
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Marshall has two adult children and recently became a grandfather. He is an active individual who has many wonderful stories and a scholarly background that appeals to TYMS philosophy.

Chris Ryan

Teacher
Chris joined the TYMS team as a teacher in 2018. He is blessed with a lovely wife, three boys and one girl.
He was born and raised in Tokoroa, of Samoan and Irish heritage.

Business Founder/Director and Visual Arts facilitator.

Chris is passionate about contributing to disadvantaged youth reaching their potential through realizing their unique, God given talents and strengths.

Chris's interests include surfing, product/service innovation, reading, gardening and travelling with his family.

Ariana Gordon - Glassford

Teacher
Ariana has worked within the education sector since 1994, in Primary Schools and specialist settings for children and young people with complex needs.
Ariana, of Ngaati Kahungunu ki te Wairoa descent, weaves te reo Maaori and tikaanga throughout the curriculum. She encourages young people to direct their own learning dependent on their unique strengths, interests and goals.
Ariana loves to spend time with her husband and her whanau. Ariana is passionate about health and wellbeing She is competitive waka ama paddler, enjoys yoga and is also a qualified massage therapist. ​

Lydia Rasmussen

Teacher
Lydia joined the TYMS team late 2018. She has been teaching in Auckland high schools since 2009 in subjects including Dance, Drama, English, ESOL, and PE. Lydia was born and raised on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia and moved to New Zealand in 2005. She is of Te Ati Awa (Taranaki region) descent, and the eldest of three girls. 

Lydia enjoys helping young people discover new skills and ways of learning. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering, fitness activities like dancing, trampolining, and walking, baking, learning drums, and sewing.

Meet our office team...

Cherie Delatour

Financial Administrator
Cherie has 22 years of office experience and joined the TYMS team in January 2019 as Financial Administrator. 

Cherie is extremely passionate in the TYMS values and beliefs and says she has been able to see first hand the hard work, support and drive that all of the TYMS staff give to  young people that makes such a huge difference to their lives, the lives of their families, friends and for the future of society.

Cherie is looking forward to her future with TYMS and watching our young people grow into great adults with a positive future ahead of them.

Christina Muaiava

Office Administrator
Christina Marie Muaiava nee Tuitama
is a New Zealand born Samoan.
Her father is from Faleasiu, Upolu and her Mother is from Puapua, Savaii.  They met here in NZ and Christina is the eldest of five siblings.

Christina and her siblings grew up in Te Atatu North (now Peninsula) and is a born and bred Westie.  She is married to a Samoan whose roots are from Safatoa and Faleatiu.  They have two sons.  One of whom is married and the other is in College.  Christina loves her family very much.

Christina comes with extensive knowledge as a qualified Librarian with an NZLSC, she left school and worked for DSIR as a Library Assistant for 11 years.  Christina then worked for the Archive of Maori & Pacific Music at the University of Auckland for 22 years.  TYMS' work within the youth sector is what interests her as  she has a passion for Youth and is always wanting to see our Pasifika and Maori Youth being successful in any arena.  Christina believes "if that makes a difference, we all become successful for our Families, Communities and Country.  We can all help to break the cycle of disengagement. I believe God has blessed me with being part of TYMS".

Evaluation and research...

Nadine Metzger

Evaluator
 Nadine is a research and evaluation professional who specialises in evaluation which uses developmental models to influence social change. Nadine has worked with TYMS since 2012, helping us to understand how our work is contributing to outcomes for the young people we work with and how to ensure this work is sustainable.

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