This week's newsmaker is the talented Hinerongonui Kingi who has been instrumental in putting together the Koiora Music Fundraiser concert for the families of Kanea Hicks and Kaine Lewis.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I'm extremely passionate within the creative performing arts areas including music, kapa haka, dance, theatre, acting, creative writing and composing. I was raised in a supportive whanau alongside my six brothers and am humbled to have been taught the importance of manaakitanga and aroha from a young age. I strive to push myself beyond my own boundaries every day with the ambition of eventually being able to hopefully help and inspire others to push themselves as well.
What motivated you to help fundraise for the families of Kanea Hicks and Kaine Lewis?
I believe the seed was planted within myself after I visited Kanea in hospital alongside a handful of my Te Mataarae i Orehu whanau. She hadn't been in hospital for very long and at the time we were given the news you pray you will never hear about a loved one. The following days I was consumed by grief for our whole whanau and pulled out my guitar and put those feelings into a song. When my kapa haka team started thinking of ideas to help Kanea and her whanau, the music fundraising concert idea was favoured and without thinking too much about the logistics of organising such an event I used the aroha I have for the whanau to help push me and eventually it all become a natural process. When I heard from a friend about Kaine and his whanau going through a similar experience I approached the whanau and asked them if we could fundraise for them also and they were humbled to be a part of the experience, as we, the members of Te Mataarae I Orehu are.
