Kane Te Tai’s mum: Thanks for koha, aroha to help bring her soldier son home from Ukraine

Ngaire Te Tai and her son Kane Te Tai.

Ngaire Te Tai - mum of Kane Te Tai, the soldier killed in the Ukraine conflict - will stop all donations to the Givealittle page effective at 11.59pm tonight and all other fundraising, as the goal of $65,000 for Kane’s repatriation to Aotearoa has been met.

Kane Te Tai, 38, was killed in action while clearing a trench last week in the Vuhledar region. An uncle will travel to eastern Europe and will accompany Kane’s body home under Māori tikanga.

Any surplus monies once expenses have been settled will go to Kane’s daughter, Ngaire Te Tai said.

“The whanāu cannot thank people enough for their love and generosity to bring my boy home,” Te Tai told the Herald.

“Our whanāu are filled with gratitude, as this could not have been achieved without the support of a community, a nation.”

Kane Te Tai in Ukraine.

Ngaire Te Tai wanted to acknowledge those who have donated, and continued to support her and Kane’s whānau.

Te Tai said the whānau had heard from people questioning what Kane was doing in Ukraine.

“He believed in freedom and in his own mana motuhake, and everyone’s right to that,” she said.

Kane Te Tai left Aotearoa on April 25, 2022 - Anzac Day. He slowly made his way towards Europe.

His mother said Kane had planned to be back in Aotearoa for this year’s Anzac parade, and he and friends were planning to put up white crosses at the graves of fallen soldiers, an annual ritual.

Next month on April 25, 2023, the Te Tai whanāu will instead celebrate the life and death of a fallen hero, Kane Te Tai.

Kane Te Tai: Sunrise: 07.02.85 Sunset: 20.03.23

Lest we forget.