Making personal time for myself has not been easy as I generally like to help people. Actually making and then taking personal time for myself was extremely challenging as I was full of excuses how I didn’t have enough time. I now acknowledge that personal time nurtures my spirit and reflects positively on other areas of my life.

Every day I need to stop and really concentrate on not just thinking or feeling about issues/situations but to really decide what my true self thinks or feels and then acted accordingly. I am now finally moving on, in my life’s journey thanks to Kiwi Family Trust.

Carmel Duncan

Hi, on your course I found relevant tools to better equip myself for today. These tools I discovered, lay within me, and your course helped me bring out this confidant new person. What I learned will help me better communicate with the people around me and better understand my own being.

Having a schizophrenic illness I was able to peel back the layers and expose the Richard I once knew. I can attribute your course tools for my illness having less off an impact and me being more able to control better thinking. Nelson presented the material in an easy to understand manner and brought out some interesting content for us to use and be aware of.

I would recommend this course for anyone who wants to become all that they could be and better utilise what lies beneath us all. Thank you to the trust and the other interesting people on this course.

RICHARD WALKER.

I attended the 4-day Self-awareness course in November 2008. I wasn’t aware of this course until a friend recommended it to me. When I attended this course, I came with an open mind, which was filled within the first day with knowledge I wasn’t aware of, that gradually showed me a path that has been hidden from me for so long. It was a course that had positive energy, people, messages and outlook, which I appreciated.

Being a young male coming to a course for the first time, most are hesitant, but I was welcomed with open arms. I learnt to believe in myself, and of knowledge that was not presented by society. The knowledge I have gained from this course will be utilised in the present and in the future, to better my situation and to my advantage. These tools I have acquired will be used today, tomorrow and forevermore, and will give me a greater upper hand on situations, and I can now dominate to achieve an outcome that will benefit me, and the people around me, in every situation.

I am proud of myself for taking the opportunity to better myself by attending this course.

Aside from the essential lifeskills and tools that make this training unique, Kiwi Family Trust & Nelson Soper create a safe environment for individuals to give themselves space to really take a look at where they are in their lives; a safe place of observation so that a sense of empowerment and life ownership may be realised. Very much needed in this environment where many do not have a ready source of support or safety in their own home or community. A REAL “pay-it-forward” system at work, as self-empowerment also impacts on those who know the empowered individual. Great stuff!”

Jackie Sheehan – Self Empowerment Stylis

I was looking for a training and development programme that would allow staff to learn more about themselves and how to improve their relationships with others. The KIWI FAMILY TRUST provided a course that perfectly allowed these objectives to be achieved. It provided a simple and non-threatening way for staff, at all levels, to understand more about themselves and others

THE PRESENTER

Nelson was a very capable presenter. He pitched the programme at the appropriate level and used examples that staff attending could easily relate to.OVERALL

The programme was a complete success. Staff left the course with a better understanding of themselves and were provided with the tools to deal with day to day matters that arise at work and in their personal lives. As a consequence, staff morale lifted and relationships improved as people felt more confident about being able to deal with their “issues”.

A very effective and low cost staff training and development programme.

Steve Hume
General Manager
Wai-ora Forest Landscapes Ltd

By Participating in the Trust’s 4 day Humanize Me life skills development module,
and visiting regularly with staff from the Christchurch office, it is clear that
Kiwi Family Trust is an organization of integrity, honesty and quality.

Integrity shines in the way Kiwi Family Trust staff have no pretensions to special knowledge or airs of superiority. Those at The Trust know life is a process of endless discovery – a joyous learning adventure to be shared, and because they understand this, they don’t have to perform or be on guard. They’re relaxed and there is a healthy respect in Trust staff members for the uniqueness and value of each person.

The Kiwi Family Trust has nothing to prove – honesty flows through the organization in a recognition that being truly human is allowing for all possibilities and creatively being those options that honour the welfare of all as well as the well being of our environment.

It is a good feeling to be around those at Kiwi Family Trust because they’re not out to judge or criticize, rather they are committed to the process of gentle learning in which reflective listening, safe space and cherishing, are offered to all.

Quality is about maintaining an exact standard continuously and the standard at
Kiwi Family Trust is NATURE itself – Natural Creativity. The Trust knows there is awesomeness and excellence in each of us naturally and recognizes this original spirit by an attitude of un-conditional acceptance and nurturing that supports and encourages.

The Kiwi Family Trust is a good organization committed to life skills learning and improvement. Indeed, this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, captures the essence of
The Kiwi Family Trust:

“A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam that flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages.

”Michael James (Teacher)
July 2005

For four days during June of this year, I attended a Kiwi Family Trust course at the Golden Bay Community Centre. Attending the course had been suggested by a friend, who had been given great reports on earlier courses, which had been run by the Kiwi Family Trust. I didn’t need any encouragement to go to the course, as I wanted to learn more about myself, who I was and where I belonged in the “big scheme of life”.

Mr. Nelson Soper was our facilitator, and he made me feel very comfortable right from the moment I arrived. Nelson told us how he came to be a big part of Kiwi Family Trust, and from his story, I could see that he had experienced what I was looking for, for myself. Nelson has a serious, but humourous way of explaining the different areas we explored. He made me think about the differences between people, and how those differences complimented each other, or could work together.

I found that by the end of each day, I was extremely tired, but also exhilarated by the things I had learnt about myself. Some things I learnt I already knew about myself, but other things were quite a revelation. All in all, a big learning curve.

I would recommend this course to anyone, to discover more about who they are, and give them a better understanding of themselves. I would like to do this course again sometime later on, as a refresher.

Thank you Nelson, for such an awesome course. You are a great teacher.

I am quite happy for anyone to contact me at either the above address or by emailing me at glduff@xnet.co.nz

Laurelee Duff.

In my opinion, this course is for anyone and everyone.

We all have much to learn about ourselves no matter of age or experience.

For me this course was a wake up call, a beneficial guide and the most empowering experience yet for I can honestly say how proud I am to be me (flaws and all!)
I no longer take others beliefs or reactions personally. My goals, actions and feelings may be different from others but this does not make me wrong (try refreshingly real!) Self awareness enabled me to accept who I am -I realised I had been ignoring my own instincts my whole life just to please everyone else. Constantly believing and listening to everyone else’s advice can be detrimental to your health. I constantly suffered reoccurring health problems and was trying to cope with a list of past and present traumatic events. In hindsight all I needed was this course and self confidence.

Personally, I have changed so dramatically with more changes on the way, without taking the anti-depressant medication I was prescribed!

Why? Simply because I now know who I am, what & why I’m doing things, where I’m going and how I’m going to get there.

I now have the basic fundamental tools wrapped up in a handbook for review when the need to accomplish and understand future circumstances arises.

The rest is now up to you and it’s a lot easier than you think.

Nadine Oborn
28 years old
9 January 2006.

I trust that you are in fine spirits.
Wow Man, where to begin?

Firstly I would like to commend you on your ability to put people at ease, to listen, to share unbiased opinions and your controlled approach in getting your point across.

You are truly an amazing person. You directed (HumanizeMe) with total passion and truth and you made real sense.
I am truly grateful to you for this amazing experience and for showing me the right path to finding my true self.

Also in doing your course I have a new found respect for myself and I cannot begin to explain the wonderful feeling of freedom this has given me.
Anybody wishing to find their true self should do this course.

Nelson, thank you so much man.
Kind Regards,

Mark Hall
KAIAPOI
17 April 2005

PS – A staff member of yours I think it was Linda is a fine credit to your establishment.

PPS – Success with your saxophone