As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025 (IWD2025), i24s Group (i24s) shines a spotlight on an unintentional heroine whose self-determination will inspire you to accelerate action and be the best you can be.

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Life’s journey is rarely played out in a straight line. However, for Terina, the road was filled with obstacles were so immense, many would have lost their way. Against all odds this dynamic Māori woman, transformed her darkest moments into a beacon of hope – for herself, her children and the countless members of society who also struggle with disadvantage and homelessness. 

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Today, Terina stands tall, as a high-performing Outreach Supervisor at i24s – proving that resilience and community can break the most entrenched cycles of hardship.

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Connecting with Cultural Heritage
Reflecting on her cultural heritage, Terina says, “My earliest memories stem from the extraordinary work that my great Grandmother pioneered. I have an overwhelming respect for her, and for the initiatives that she implemented while serving as the President of the New Zealand-based not-for-profit (NFP) that undertook advocacy work to improve the lives of marginalised women and children.”

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Terina smiles as she happily recalls some of her great Grandmother’s stellar achievements, including:

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• helping to establish the NFP in the early 1950s, which was one of the first national Māori organisations;

• working tirelessly to improve housing for displaced women and children;

• improving gender equality and reducing gender discrimination;

• challenging conventional norms by expanding rights for all Māori women; and

• advocating for improved essential services, such as, healthcare and education. 

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A Childhood Marked by Love and Turmoil
Born in Melbourne as one of 11 children, Terina grew up in an environment of extremes –unshakable maternal love from her mother and mentor, the terror of family and domestic violence (FDV). 

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At the tender age of five, Terina, some of her siblings and her mother fled to the West Coast of Australia, in pursuit of safety. 

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Terina’s intelligence was evident from an early age. She shares, “I enjoyed school and did well. I liked participating academically, as well as in other endeavours outside of the classroom. I was crowned ‘Faction Captain’ and was a Member of the Student Council at school." 

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A Cycle That Seemed Unbreakable
At 18, Terina fell in love and subsequently became a young Mother of two wonderful children. While she dreamed of a stable and nurturing family life, her relationship morphed into a decade of FDV and alcoholism, as well as dark forces that haunted her family across generations. 

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Throughout this relationship, Terina struggled with many challenges that rocked her world, including her mother’s 12-month battle with breast cancer and her death. Followed by her favourite Brother's sudden passing from a drug overdose. 

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Terina says, “This was the darkest period of my life. I was consumed by loss and grief. I started drinking more (abusing alcohol) to numb my pain, but it didn’t work. In fact, it amplified my problems. I knew I had to make big changes to start over.”    

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Homelessness and Despair
Survival came at a devastating cost…Terina found herself homeless. She couch-surfed until her network could no longer offer shelter and then she resorted to sleeping in her car. 

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To ensure her children had stability and continued to attend school, Terina made the gut-wrenching decision to move her children in with another family member.

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Terina says, “Suddenly I was alone and sleeping rough. I went back to the bottle to forget my grief and trauma, and losing my children (albeit temporarily). Days blurred into nights of fear, isolation and uncertainty.”

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A Road Less Travelled
After not being able to access facilities to shower for three days, Terina knew everything needed to change – this was the final straw. She mustered the courage to seek help and embarked on a road less travelled. 

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She voluntarily attended an Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Program (Program), which became her first step towards a new life. The Program gave her the tools for sobriety, as well as enabled her to consider what her purpose was. 

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She says, “Those were dark times, but light came into my life through the Program and the associated community. I realised that my purpose (like my great Grandmother) was to help others.”

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Determined to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma, Terina became firmly focused on rebuilding her life and starting to heal. 

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She says, “Forgiving yourself is important. If you don’t forgive yourself, you can’t heal or move forward. I also needed to forgive others. I can’t change history and I won't forget some of the pain, but my priority must be reuniting with my children.”

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Forging ahead, Terina embraced healthy living, pursued education in mental health and began working at Browne’s Dairy. This job was primarily manual labour, at times moving up to 40 pallets per day (of dairy stock), cleaning and various other tasks. Regardless of the physicality (of the job), Terina thoroughly enjoyed it as it provided independence and made her physically strong.

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A New Chapter
Then, a chance encounter changed everything…one day Terina observed the i24s’ Outreach Teams working with homeless people in the park. She inquired about the work they were doing and boldly inquired about potential future employment. Within two weeks, Terina was interviewed by the i24s Co-Founders, Angela Kickett and Justin Kickett. They saw her potential and offered her a role.

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In 2024, Terina completed a Certificate III in Community Services and Certificate IV in Mental Health, which enabled her to put her best foot forward with i24s. She was rebuilding her life and fulfilling her purpose, to help others. Her goal to reunite with her children under one roof was in reach.

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In 2025, Terina draws on her lived experience to help others navigate homelessness and trauma. She provides robust support for vulnerable people who struggle to access essential services from the myriads of government agencies and private sector service providers. Her lived experience helped i24s to enhance their approach to Outreach support, by increasing collaboration with government and industry.

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Terina is currently undertaking a Diploma in Counselling and this week, she secured long-term accommodation, which are outstanding milestones considering she was sleeping rough only two short years ago. 

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The Chief Executive Officer of i24s, Angela Kickett says, “Terina is living proof that transformation is possible. She embodies strength and determination in spades, and her ‘glass half full’ approach to life is remarkable. She is an inspiration to women (and men) who struggle with homelessness and are unable to cope.” 

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Angela adds, “I think society would be surprised by how many women are in a similar situation to Terina. Despair is a slippery slope for people to become helpless and homeless. I believe in the power of second chances, that is how we remain grounded and improve. Our approach to Outreach, is underscored by humanity and continuous improvement. We are committed to working collectively with all stakeholders to achieve the best outcomes for vulnerable people.” 

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Accelerating Action in 2025
Terina and Angela are two Indigenous women who are accelerating action in 2025. They share mutual respect and common values, and an unwavering commitment to serve the others/communities.

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Angela says, “Starting over is hard. It requires acceptance and selflessness. Terina’s goal is now in reach and I’m very happy for her and her family. I hope her lived experience empowers others to seek help.”

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“The IWD2025 theme is ‘accelerate action’ and I can’t think of another person who has accelerated more action than Terina! We sincerely thank her for sharing her story,” says Angela.​

If you or someone you know needs help, reach out to Lifeline, Beyond Blue or 13Yarn.
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For further information about our capabilities, please visit i24s.com.au and/or call +61 8 9209 2090.​​​​