Tena ano tatou katoa.
I have recently returned from leading a delegation of Maori business leaders on a six-day trip to Korea and Japan.
The trip was quick, tiring, but it was great to be part of connecting cultures and opening doors for our Maori enterprises to possible new markets. Forming relationships with another culture that really does appreciate our uniqueness was wonderful, and we were honoured to witness a local school who had come to New Zealand before and took away with them our culture. They embraced it and learnt a number of items including haka and waiata that they performed for us. To say we were blown away was an understatement. It's hard to comprehend that so many people don't bother with our official language and can't see how important pronunciation is, when a school half a world away have truly embraced it like they did.
With Matariki upon us, it was timely that two new facilities in the Western Bay were opened last week. Maketu Health and Social Services opened their new complex right in the heart of Maketu on Friday. A grand building that is a huge acknowledgment of the many years of tireless mahi from a core group of wahine who led the charge to have a range of support services available in Maketu. Central to their thinking is the belief their own people can provide services to and for their own community. I was proud and privileged they asked me to open the building and am honoured to have my name on the front.
I was also privileged to be asked to open the Whare Tauranga. The building was basically a shell gifted by Tauranga Moana Trust Board on a two-year lease, rent-free to Te Tuinga Whanau Social Services Trust. In less than two weeks, the trust has fitted the building out with four large bedrooms to provide temporary accommodation for homeless whanau that need some assistance. Up to four whanau at a time will be housed for a maximum of 10 weeks while agencies work to provide support and help find permanent housing.
