Te Ururoa Flavell: Marae school's great success

Te Wharekura o Ngati Rongomai is achieving great things despite its small size, pictured last year as Te Arawa Primary School kapa haka regional competition. Photo/File.

A few years ago, we all saw photographs of a beautiful little baby across our TV screens. But this baby had been terribly abused by a group of people.

The question was asked how was it that adults could do what they did to just a small child. She was just a baby unable to parry the blows or respond to the verbal abuse.

What was to follow, was that families came together indeed some of those were of Ngati Rongomai. A plan was prepared where every effort was made to learn from the experience. The focus was to be on education, and over time the marae was opened up to house a school.

Here we are now some five to six years on and we have Te Wharekura o Ngati Rongomai. It is a small school but there are so many benefits that have come for the children, families and to the people of Ngati Rongomai. They get all of the worldly knowledge along with the songs of our ancestors, the ability to speak and call, to perform and participate in recreational activities. This is their educational banquet. The students stand proud, yet humble. The school has achieved many great achievements despite its size so Ngati Rongomai, take a bow. You are all to be congratulated from students to teachers, the families and indeed the tribe. Some good has come from a time of sadness. The White Ribbon campaign has hit the road recently. Dr Pita Sharples and myself are ambassadors for this campaign. So what is it all about? It aims to bring attention to domestic violence against women and children by men, it is that simple. Here is the pledge this year. "I promise never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence towards women."

So here is the challenge to us all. While you are reading this article at home or work, read it out loud so others can hear. Then they can hold you to account for what you have said.

Maori translation:

I nga tau kua hipa i kite tatou katoa i te whakaahua o tetahi pepi i te pouaka whakaata. I tukinohia taua pepi e tetahi hunga, ano nei he kuri. I pataia te patai, he aha i pera ai te hunga pakeke ki tetahi pepi? He pepi tonu ia kaore ia i te kaha ki te karo i nga ringa
kaha, ki te whakautu i nga kohetehete.

Heoi ano, i tu nga hui o nga whanau ko nga toronga o Ngati Rongomai tetahi. I puta te whakaaro ki te whakarite i tetahi mahere kia puta ratou i te kapua pouri ki te ao marama. Ko te aronganui ko te matauranga a, na wai, na wai, i whakatuwherahia te marae mo tetahi kura.

Anei tatou, rima, ono tau i muri mai, ko te kura o Ngati Rongomai kua tu. He kura pakupaku nei engari ina ke nga hua kua puta i nga tamariki, ki nga whanau, ki te iwi o Ngati Rongomai. Ko te matauranga o te ao, ko nga waiata o nga tupuna, whaikorero, karanga, kapahaka, hakinakina. Koia nei a ratou kai!

Ko nga tamariki ka tu whakahiihii, ka tu whakaiti. Ko tenei kura kua eke ke ki nga taumata ahakoa tona pakupaku, no reira, Ngati Rongomai, kei whea mai. Kei runga noa atu koutou katoa, tamariki mai, kaiako mai, whanau mai, iwi mai, ka nui nga mihi. Ara, i puta te pai i te kino.

E hoa ma, kei te kawe haerehia te kaupapa o te White Ribbon i te mata o te whenua i tenei wa tonu nei. Ko maua ko Takuta Pita Sharples kei waenga i te Roopu Kauhau mo te
kaupapa nei. He aha hoki te kaupapa? Kei tona puutake, he hiahia no matou ki te whakakore i te tukino te wahine, i nga tamariki e te tane, kaore i ko atu, i ko mai. E penei ana te whakahau i tenei tau. ``I promise never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence towards women''.

No reira, anei te wero ki a tatou. I a koe e panui ana i tenei korero i te kainga ranei, i te mahi ranei, mau enei kupu e kaha panui kia rongo nei etahi atu. Ma ratou ano koe e whakamatautau. Kia kaha tonu tatou.

I welcome your feedback. Email mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz Phone 0508 924 274.

Te Ururoa Flavell is the MP for Waiariki and the co-leader of the Maori Party.