North gifts bound for Rarotongan school

Northland paddlers were treated like royalty by the staff and students at Nikao Maori School in Rarotonga.

Waka ama paddlers delighted to pass on donations of books, toys and teaching resources

Christmas has come early for a Rarotongan school with help from Northland waka ama paddlers.

The 100 students at Nikao Maori School, on the small Pacific island, were delighted to hear 37 boxes filled with books, toys and teaching resources were destined for their classrooms.

The students last week welcomed the paddlers as part of an Adopt-a-School initiative, which has become a part of the paddling event Vaka Eiva.

During the week-long competition, the paddlers from Ngati Rehia Kaihoe Waka Ama Club took a break and delivered some of the boxes. The rest should arrive in the next few weeks.

A marathon paddle organised by the club earlier this year raised enough money to pay for a tablet computer, which was also personally delivered by the Northlanders.

Keen Ngati Rehia paddler and chairman of the Kerikeri Police Blue Light committee Senior Constable Rob Cameron said he first visited the school last year and immediately recognised a shortage of resources for students and teachers.

He was delighted with what the club had managed to source.

"This was a huge community effort," he said.

"Taipa Area School, Kerikeri High School, Paihia Primary School and Springbank School all gave really generously, with books and teaching resources."

The Mad Butcher in Whangarei also pitched in by donating boxes of pencils and sharpeners.

Paihia ITM owner Lindsay Gray had helped with the shipping of the boxes to Rarotonga and without his assistance the cost would have been too much, Mr Cameron said.

"There were a number of donations made from Te Tii locals and iwi organisations keen to support what the club was trying to do. These donations were often made by people of limited means and showed a real generosity of spirit."

Blue Light National had contributed a large amount of resources that had been destined initially for the Solomons.

Mr Cameron said the Cook Island people were so generous and it was a humbling experience to be welcomed on to the school grounds.

Blue Light and Ngati Rehia Kaihoe Waka Ama Club were keen to retain the relationship with Nikao and would now fundraise to get more computer hardware.

Principal Elizabeth Kapi said the school's operational budget did not leave much spare to buy resources such as books, so the gifts from Northland were greatly appreciated.

"It means a lot to the staff and children to get these boxes.

"These things have come at the right time for us."

A room would be cleared and made into a library ready for the students when they returned from summer holidays next year.

Ms Kapi said the senior students would use the tablet as part of lessons.

The junior Ngati Rehia paddlers performed a rousing haka and then took to the fields to play football with the students.

Children at the school are aged from three-and-a-half to 13 years old.