Ko Panekire te maunga 
Ko Waikaremoana te wai kaukau o ōku tupuna 
Ko Ngai Tūhoe me Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana ōku iwi 
Ko Marcia Ranginui Charlton ahau 

For Marcia, social work has never been about fixing people or directing their lives. It is about walking alongside, showing up, staying present, and honouring the mana of those she works with. Marcia is one of a growing number of social entrepreneur social workers who have established community organisations to tackle complex social issues. 

Descended from Te Urewera, based in the Waikato and with a long history in community and private practice, Marcia describes herself as someone who was often called in when doors were closed. “They used to call me the open‑doorer,” she laughs. “I’d get called into whānau who wouldn’t engage with anyone. They weren’t getting their needs met.” What made the difference was not technique, but relationship.  

“I’ve always had really strong beliefs that whanaungatanga is the base of everything. Relationships deepen over time, and you get to live alongside people through their lives.” 

At the heart of Marcia’s practice is mana motuhake—the belief that people have the right to determine their own paths. “I really believe strongly that people have the right to use their voice, state what they want, be clear about what they need, and where they want to be in their world. Our responsibility is to support them to work through the steps to get there.” Support, for Marcia, never means control.  

“People need to feel supported rather than guided or bossed around. It’s about saying, ‘That’s your dream—let’s try and make that happen together.’” 

Aroha is another cornerstone of Marcia’s work, though she is quick to challenge romanticised ideas of it. “Aroha isn’t just a light, fluffy feeling. It’s being willing to go through the trenches with people—to get down and dirty, to sit in a fly‑infested room with them.” For Marcia, aroha means curiosity too:  

“If it comes from a place of authentic curiosity, you find out all sorts of things about who people are, and you can really step alongside them.” 

These values are lived out through ĀKI Innovations, the kaupapa Māori organisation Marcia helped establish. Āki means to nurture, encourage, and promote forward movement. “It’s about protecting the light people have, without suffocating it,” she explains. “You keep feeding it, helping it grow.” The purpose of ĀKI is simple but powerful: to āki i te mauri—to nurture and strengthen the essence of who people are. 

Reflecting on her journey, Marcia speaks with humility and conviction. “I feel very privileged to be part of people’s lives,” she says. “We can only do the best we can, plant the seed, and nurture it. The rest happens when people are ready.” 

It is this quiet integrity—grounded in whanaungatanga, mana motuhake and aroha—that defines Marcia’s social work practice and continues to open doors.