Ezra Hirawani – Inclusion Impact Award 2021
Above: Ezra Hirawani speaking as part of the Māori Futures panel at Festival for the Future 2021.
Ezra Hirawani was the winner of the Impact Award for Inclusion in 2021, and is the founder of Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Māori owned electricity company, which exists to tackle power poverty – Nau Mai Rā. We caught up with Ezra to hear a bit more about the journey so far, how they’ve got to where they are now, and the vision moving forwards.
An initiative of the Kiwi charity Inspiring Stories – The Impact Awards celebrate young New Zealanders making a difference, with $30,000 in prizes awarded across six major categories – climate, enterprise, inclusion, wellbeing, local and global impact.
Q: Tell us about the change that you’re working to create in the world with Nau Mai Rā, and why?
A: In Aotearoa, power is treated more like a commodity rather than the essential service that we all know it is. As a result, over 100,000 whānau can’t afford to pay for the cost of power needed to fuel their homes and provide their families with warm dry homes. We exist to change that and remove whānau from energy hardship – one whānau at a time.
Q: For people just coming across you and your work for the first time, can you give them a glimpse of the impact that your work is making?
A: It’s only just beginning, but over the past 18 months we’ve eliminated fear of being disconnected from power for more than 1000 consumers, and we have a long list of whānau waiting to join us. Previously we had been denied power at a reasonable rate from wholesalers that meant we couldn’t bring on and support any more whānau. However, after a year of fighting we have reached an agreement with a couple wholesalers now that has changed that! We now have the ability to bring on and support vulnerable consumers and carry on with our purpose. This is a huge win for whānau in the industry. People historically have come last in the pecking order for too long and this signifies the first step of flipping that script!
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced on your impact journey, and how did you overcome it?
A: Everyone told us we could never do what we have done. Profit over people has been the status quo in the power industry, and there was no way that two young boys from the Waikato were ever going to change that. We knocked on door after door and worked with those who believed in what we did – that power is a right not a privilege, and that people are more important than profit. We searched for those within the industry who were willing to go against the grain like us. We shared our story on the radio, in the paper, online and on TV until those whom we were looking for knew we were trying to find them and it worked. Two wholesalers reached out and said they would join us in leading the transformation of the industry and support us as we supported the whānau who needed us the most. Without the support of whānau we would have given up a long time ago.
Q: How have you funded or resourced your idea(s) for impact, and what advice would you have for other people looking to fund or resource theirs?
A: We found those who believed in what we were trying to achieve, and the better we got at explaining our purpose, the easier it was for those who have financially supported us to do so. For us, we found that clarity in equal power, the more we could give the more we received. Our partners have supported us right when we needed them the most!
Q: What difference has winning the Impact Award made for you and your work?
A: The recognition from winning the Inclusion award has increased our credibility in the market and has aided us to secure other sources of funding as a result.
Q: If someone was interested in supporting your work, how could they help, and what kind of support would be most helpful for you?
Join us at Nau Mai Rā – our invitation to all whānau, not just Māori to join us and do more the power you have. Our offer is simple, pay less or at worst the exact same as what you are paying now, and direct your bill to support someone who can’t afford to pay theirs. By simply paying you power bill with us at no extra cost you will be helping a vulnerable whānau pay for theirs. Through your dashboard you can track your consumption, manage your bills and most importantly track the koha/contributions you give. We dont add the koha to your bill its all included – you will literally pay the same or less and we’ll take care of the rest. Visit www.naumaira.nz to find out more!
From left: Ezra Hirawani – winner of the Inclusion Award (Co-founder, Nau Mai Rā); Guy Ryan (CEO & Founder of Inspiring Stories & The Impact Awards); Mary Moeno-Kolio – winner of the Climate Award (Co-leader, Pacific Climate Warriors); Jacinta Gulasekharam and Miranda Hitchings – winners of the Wellbeing Award (Co-founders, Dignity NZ); Grace Glass – winner of the Enterprise Award (Co-founder, Natural Paint Co.), Sophie Weenink-Smith – Local Impact Award (community champion & fundraiser); Maia Mariner – Local Impact Award (Founder, Lazy Sneakers); Heidi Parks – Local Impact Award (Disability & inclusion advocate, Kawerau); Jack Keeys (community champion & fundraiser); Nathale Thaipun (Co-founder, Wanakup).
