Tautoko – Testimonials
“The kahu korako programme was a transformative experience for me. I had always felt there was a disconnect in my life - not having a connection to my Marae and limited insight into Te Ao Maori. The programme empowered me to learn more about my whakapapa and to feel comfortable and proud while doing so. It exceeded my expectations in every way. The facilitators created a safe environment and approached each wananga with understanding and consideration. Being able to connect with other Maori within CLM and go on the journey together, strengthened the bonds we have, as well as the opportunity to create new friendships and grow together as a roopu. The holistic approach of Aroora meant we were able experience a lifestyle that embodied physical, mental, spiritual and whanau wellbeing and take that knowledge forward with us.”
“I have learnt more about my whakapapa, and what it is to be Māori on Kahu Korako than I have growing up, a small token to how much the programme can impact you. When leaving wananga, my colleagues would always ask what I learnt this time because I always felt the need to tell everyone what we did and how awesome it was! Being a part of Kahu Korako, it always felt as though you have gone into a full emersion of te ao Māori which is learnt over time but has been done in a course of 3 days, the programme pushes you to your limits physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. You leave feeling drained but also feeling full of knowledge, and of course the amazing kai we would get to eat.”
“There were so many highs from the Aroora programme. Every wananga was AMAZING. A few standout highlights for me were:
- Being able to grow and learn in a safe and supportive environment. I was encouraged and never made to feel embarrassed about my lack of knowledge. Learning my Pepeha and making the connection to my whakapapa and ancestors was an incredibly moving experience.
- The amazing excursions - Hikes in the ngahere, meeting Timoti and looking for Taonga, Boogie boarding the sand dunes, rafting and visiting beautiful parts of our country was so memorable. Not only did the physical experiences push us outside of our comfort zone and challenge us but also we were able to learn about the way of life and the journey our ancestors took. I feel very grateful to participate in experiences I would probably never be able to do otherwise, and to truly experience our beautiful country.
- I also really enjoyed developing meaningful relationships with the people in our group through korero and wananga and seeing peers grow and achieve while supporting each other.”
“For me, as someone who is very individually driven and somewhat reclusive (at first), for me to be greeted by this roopu of people (whom the only common ground is the business we mahi for) in such a way that I was warmed and made to feel immediately welcomed and part of the haerenga was very special. My guard was lowered, my curiosity immediately heightened”
“The journey and the learnings provided me with, and further solidified my pride in my taha Māori. The physical, the natural, and the intangible. Hearing the stories of Kupe the great navigator, learning about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and visiting some remarkable sites was something I will NEVER forget, and will make time to re-do these journeys with my tama and mokopuna (one day)”
Whangārei Girls High School Testimony
"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for delivering a programme that not only grew our students physically but encompassed all aspects of ‘Te Whare Tapawha’, gaining confidence and building resilience is what I saw over this year during the programme."
Rangatahi Testimonial
A few of our awesome tauira sharing their thoughts of the year.
Ngā Hōtaka
We are currently delivering two programmes for rangatahi in Whangārei, Tenei tōku whare and Tāhuna tau atu, as well as delivering our internal Māori leadership programme, Kāhu kōrako, across the CLM network.