When Hiraka Hiku, 19, and Ataleah Taratoa, 18, started Ringside Cafe, they did not like coffee. Now, they are passionate about it.

“We have been converted,” Hiku said.

The Imagine Believe Achieve (IBA) programme, which is operated by the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust, supports the duo, operations manager Mark Inman said.

The IBA programme combines tikanga Māori, te reo, and holistic youth development.

Grounded in the Te Whare Tapa Whā framework, it offers work readiness training, fitness, guest mentoring, psychological support, and post-programme guidance to empower taiohi towards employment, further study, and resilient futures.

“The two young women, who were once considered at-risk youth, have turned their lives around,” he said.

Hiraka Hiku takes the orders and Nataleah Taratoa makes the coffee.

Hiku and Taratoa, friends for 14 years, opened their cafe seven weeks ago outside the Tauranga Central Baptist Church at 640 Cameron Rd.

“We met in primary school.”

Creating the cafe has taught the two various life skills about perseverance, and both have grown in confidence.

“Early on, we had days where we barely had customers,” Hiku said. “Now we average about 30 customers per day.”

Over the seven weeks, they have learnt more about the art of coffee, how to steam milk and the different kinds of milk.

“Steaming the milk for a cappuccino takes three seconds, a latte two seconds, and a flat white one second.”

Hiku and Taratoa split the cafe’s roles, with Hiku providing customer service and Taratoa creating the coffee.

The cafe is open from 7am to 12pm every weekday, and the two plan to add a food option, the Kiwi classic toasted sandwich, to the menu.

The duo were donated a coffee machine by Allpress Espresso.

Inman said mental health advocate Mike King, Allpress Espresso, and Tauranga Central Baptist Church support the two.

“Mike King generously loaned them a Silverstream coffee trailer to get started,” Inman said.

He said the Gardiner Family Trust donated $20,000 to enable them to purchase the trailer outright, a massive milestone in their journey.

“The long-term goal for these guys is to take ownership of the whole thing and make it theirs.”

He said the two have done amazing things as at-risk youth in the short time they have had the coffee cart, even with limited resources.

At-risk youth are often misrepresented in media as ram-raiding, causing violence and other troublemaking activities, according to Inman.

“At-risk youth these days have anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of whanau support,” he said.

Running their own business allows Hiku and Taratoa to build their confidence, Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust community coach Anna Veale said.

“If you believe in somebody else, then they generally will believe in themselves.”

Expectations are high for the two baristas, who must be at the coffee cart at 6.30am to prepare for the day and be consistent each day.

“We do believe in them.”

Outside of catering, the duo would like to take the coffee cart on the road and attend more significant festivals, but they would need generators and transportation, Inman said.