Internet cafe opens in State building

THE latest edition to a group of Maori businesses in Masterton will be opened and blessed this Saturday.
Manuia internet Cafe has been set up to operate out of the old State building in Queen Street along with Indigenous Consultants Limited, Te Ao Aroha and Nga Pakeke Tumeke O Wairarapa.
All four are separate entities and each also supports the others, and they have come into existence to cater for the older Maori and Pacific men and women in the community.
Te Ao Aroha is a counselling service and run by Michelle Coley, who said the setting up of the cafe had been the initiative of the women of Nga Pakeke Tumeke O Wairarapa business which provided, among other things, training on computers.
The cafe will be run by Hawea Mahenga, who is also the IT technician keeping the internet on line and available for Maori and Pacific Islanders to stay connected to their whanau the world over.
Mr Mahenga said yesterday the cafe which has been designed for older Maori and Pacific Islanders but welcomed everybody and will be open from 9am-7pm with the express purpose of staying open after 5pm to cater for the workers.
The manager of Indigenous Consultants, Maaola Samuela, said she was delighted to read in the Times-Age, that according to the 2006 census data there was an increase in older Maori in Wairarapa, and it was apparent from the size of the increase that the health messages were getting through.
The latest census showed a 20 per cent increase of Maori aged 40-plus and a 26 per cent increase in Maori aged 65 and over living in Wairarapa, compared with 2001, with many more kaumatua now than a few years ago.
Ms Samuela said it was great to read that and in response to the story she wanted older Maori people to know about what was available in the community to help them maintain their well-being.
She said there is always plenty of help for those who are ill but the fit and healthy elderly men and women on their own also need to be considered because many are often lonely and there aren't many places to go for "companionship, sharing and caring".
She said there was something for them at the State centre which was open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, with further activities on a Friday night.
As far as the business side of things is concerned, the ultimate aim is for all businesses to eventually be fully independent.