From needles to needy: Waimārama nannies gift woolens to Wairoa families

Ngāti Kahungunu event manager Te Rangi Huata (left) and Environment and Natural Resources director Ngaio Tiuka holding bags full of knitted treasures, pictured with nanny Pauline Barber.

By Ruth Wong

Last week we got a phone call from nanny Pauline Gloria Barber, of Waimārama Marae, wanting to know how she could give some home-made knitting and crochet gifts to our Wairoa flood-hit whānau.

Te Rauhina Knitting and Crochet is a group of eight nannies who meet every Wednesday at Whare Ora, a complex at Waimārama Marae, to enjoy one another’s company and share their talents and homemaking skills.

Last month the nannies had a stall at the Waitangi Marae Matariki Celebrations Market Day. They brought together all their knitted treasures to sell at their stall. They had some leftovers and all agreed they would donate their knitted treasures to the whānau in Wairoa affected by the floods.

“This is our aroha to our whānau in Wairoa who have been hit so hard by Cyclone Gabrielle and again by the recent floods. Our hearts go out to them, and we want them to know that we are thinking of them,” Barber said.

Te Rauhina Knitting and Crochet has been meeting for three years. It was initiated by nanny Piki Rauhina Winitana, the eldest nanny in the group. The purpose was to bring the group together for something to do on a Wednesday.

“This club is for anyone. We really just wanted another reason to come together and spend time with one another,” Barber said.

“There’s three of us that go out to Waimārama from Hastings, but we don’t mind, we carpool and we go out every Wednesday, and it’s nice to have something to look forward to.

“I’ve actually taught two of the nannies how to knit, they’ve really improved on their knitting skill and now one of them can knit teddy bears among a number of other things they can now make.”

On Friday, July 26, the knitted treasures were presented to Wairoa Taiwhenua Board chairman and iwi board member Nigel How, who received the goods with gratitude.

“We are very grateful for our Waimārama nannies for their tautoko and aroha. These gifts are heartfelt and a gesture of kindness. The gifts will go to our whānau with young children and will be well received, especially during these cooler months,” he said.