Charity offers grieving whānau headstone memoriams for a koha

Trevor Wetere and Siva Kilari. Photo / Whaata Māori

The Kowhatu Memorial Charity is Aotearoa’s first headstone business giving memoriams for only a koha. Using cutoffs of various marble and granite table tops, founder Trevor Wetere set out to create an avenue for whānau who do not have the means to pay for a traditional headstone.

Based in Manurewa, the descendant from Waikato-Tainui says he is honoured to help ease in whatever capacity the pain whānau still hold when unveiling their loved ones.

“I get a sense of gratification and satisfaction from alleviating some of the burden where families are dealing with sorrow and grief,” Wetere says.

Wetere established this kaupapa to meet the needs of whanau who are unable to buy a conventional headstone.

Wetere has received many testimonies from whānau he has helped with one person from Otorohanga who could not quite meet the price tag of a traditional headstone. He says it is an honour for him to create another route for whānau to take especially in times of grief.

“It’s just the fact that, that family had very little at that time, and for me it was a privilege and an honour at that time to help them meet that need,” he says.

Siva Kilari gifts all the stones to Wetere, in a bid to reduce granite and marble waste from the tabletop industry, and according to Kilari, he keeps on supporting due to his love for the kaupapa.

“When people can’t afford, and I see Trevor’s idea, that he wants to do it for his community, he wants to do it for his family. I said ‘Trevor whatever it is you are doing is a fantastic job, a great job, whatever I have to do for that, tell me, I’ll be happy to come and do it,” Kilari says.

The Kōwhatu Memorial Charity was born following the death of Wetere’s mother, and seeing the need was further beyond him and his whānau, he created the kaupapa with charity at its core.

“It’s an alternative choice. They’d rather have something that is more conducive to our tikanga, and environmentally sensitive, and it has an aspect of whānau and inclusiveness,” Wetere says.

At the moment Wetere is reaching out to support distressed whānau in Australia, and his main focus for the future is to further this kaupapa in other iwi, and countries.