Pam Kippax has a very personal story that she shares with the world through her business Precious Taonga. She’s a young mum and business woman running her gift shop and business, Precious Taonga, from a shop front in tourist hot-spot Whakarewarewa, in Rotorua.

Pam explains the Precious Taonga concept: “Precious Taonga is about protecting and treasuring your most prized possessions. These are your children, your family, your friends and colleagues, your neighbours and so on. We all need to take responsibility and not turn our backs when help is needed. We need to treat each person as Precious Taonga and not accept the misdoing of others. If we all stand together, we can make a difference.”

The difference that Pam wishes to influence is making family violence not OK in families and communities. Pam speaks at public events advocating for safer homes and families.

In addition to a very strong message, Pam’s Precious Taonga shop is filled with plenty of product she has developed herself, including canvas prints featuring photography she shot herself, as well as t-shirts and postcards.

With assistance from Te Puni Kōkiri’s Te Arawa Māori Business Facilitation Service, Pam worked with Israel Hawkins from business mentor organisation Wera Consultants Limited.