E Hua Mai Nei ko Te Reo Māori!

Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, nau mai rā ki te rangitaki o Huarau!

He wāhanga hei whakawhitiwhiti i aku whakaaro, whakaaroaro, me te whakaatu i te huhua o ngā mahi i runga i tēnei huarahi, arā te whakatū pakihi.

Ā kō ake nei ka rewa ai tō mātou whārangi ipurangi a Huarau.com, ā ka ea te tūmanako kia whakatū pakihi au mo te hoko rauemi reo Māori. Ko te hiahia kia rewa ake tō mātou pae ipurangi hei te wiki o Te Reo Māori i tēnei tau, hēoi anō he nui tonu ngā mahi kei mua i te aroaro kia tutuki ai tērā wawata ōku. No reira e tai mā, whai mai i aku tuhinga (he pahupahu noa te nuinga) e kite ai koutou i aku piki, i aku heke, i runga i tēnei huarahi hou :)

Huarau Logo

Te Orokohanga

During my time as a kaiako I have noticed a definite gap in the market for rauemi Reo Māori. Majority of the years that I have been teaching I have created all of the rauemi I need for teaching as there were simply not enough available to kura. Over this time I have noticed a few things:

1. There is a definite shortage of rauemi to support learners in total immersion education.

2. The few examples that I had come across were not the best quality or were no longer relevant eg: no te wā i a Māui!

3. There were many options available for mainstream tauira that were pretty and exciting, and I wanted these options for my tamariki.

I put to use my diploma in Computer Graphic Design & began creating rauemi for my akomanga on an as needed basis, and I realised that there were more than likely many other kaiako out there feeling the same way. Ka toko ake te whakaaro mo te whakatū pakihi.

Te Pūtake

With the birth of my pōtiki in May this year I finally decided to take the leap & launch my business. I wanted to be able to spend more time with my pēpī and still provide for my whānau at the same time. The thought of sending my pēpī to kōhanga and returning to work was killing me, and so I decided to put a plan in action and make this happen. I was, and still am terrified of the thought of taking on such a huge mission, but I am motivated to make this work for my whanau.

Pinterest Board

I spent hours planning, organising, and researching ideas to help me refine my plan and get some inspiration. I looked specifically at pakihi Māori & have created a pinterest board of all the pakihi I have followed and admire. I'm not sponsored by any of these businesses, I simply admire their whakaaro and the way they are promoting our Reo and culture in a positive way. Feel free to have a nohi and support their businesses, because as Māori we should be lifting each other up in any way we can!

With lots of push from my loving Tāne, we have converted our garage in to a working office space for me to run my business from. I had a very surreal moment the other day when my tamāhine referred to it as "our shop". This for me sums it up to a T! This is for my whānau, for my babies, and having them be a part of everything I do is awesome. My 4 year old son helped me to build and set up the furniture in my tari, and they love to sit in here with me and do their "mahi" as I work away here too. I already feel like I have succeeded having them so involved.

Ōku Wawata

Although I plan to launch my website for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, I have decided to launch only a few products initially. Because I enjoy a range of different aspects of design I have created a range of collections which categorise the items I will stock. The aim is to continue adding to each category after the launch as interest and demand grows. Of course this will all be happening in between running a household, looking after pēpī, playing Māmā to the whānau, running a haka rōpū and being a wife. Watch this space as I continue on this journey and try to reflect on the whole process along the way. Drop me a line, share your thoughts, and show me some love by following our journey on our socials, or even better - make a purchase :)

I am looking forward to the journey ahead, the ups and the downs, late nights and crazy ideas inclusive. E kiia nei te kōrero "Tuwhitia te hopo". Ka mātua pea ngā kōrero i tēnā mo te wā nei.

Mā te wā!