Nā Hora Kairangi Nicholas tēnei atikara.
Children singing, eating, and playing at a special occasion for Te Hohepa Kōhanga Reo.
This month former young learners, now adults, and enrolled tamariki of today return to the kōhanga to celebrate with bouncy castles, dunk tanks, plenty of cake, and a formal evening to commemorate 40 years of this kōhanga.
From 1986 to now, Te Hohepa Kōhanga Reo continues to nurture te reo Māori for the tamariki and mokopuna of Waitaha. The kōhanga carries the name of Hohepa Hona, a respected member of Christchurch’s Māori community, whose legacy continues to live through the children learning and growing here
Kaumātua Nanny Tere Hita, who has been part of the kōhanga for many years, highlights its beginnings: “I tīmata mai te kōhanga nei ki te kura o Woolston. I tērā wā he iti noa iho ngā tamariki”. There were 12 to be exact, now the kōhanga roll has grown to nearly 50 children.
Henare Te Aika-Puanaki has had three sons attend the kōhanga, two of whom now go to kura kaupapa. He says, “Ko Hohepa tētahi o ngā kōhanga kua roa e tū ana.” stating that “Ki te kore he mokopuna, kāore he kaupapa kōhanga reo.”
Currently, many whānau are still waiting for available spaces to free up at Kōhanga Reo in Waitaha.
As the representative for Te Waipounamu on The Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board, Te Aika-Puanaki looks ahead to the growth of kōhanga in Ōtautahi. Noting families “kei te tino hiakai” to have their children nurtured in te reo, he said, “Ko te wero nui kei runga i te poari, ka mutu kei runga i a tātou katoa ko te whakatipu i te kaupapa kia tū anō ētahi atu kohanga reo, kia whānui ake i ngā kōhanga reo e tū kē ana i tēnei wā hei whāngai i tērā pīkau”.
Whānau continue to watch, eager for their tamariki to become a part of kōhanga reo movement.
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E waiata ana, e kai ana, e tākaro harikoa ana ngā tamariki i Te Hōhepa Kōhanga Reo. Nō tēnei marama, kua hoki mai ngā manu pīrere o mua kua tipu hei pakeke, me ngā tamariki ō te kōhanga o ēnei rā, ki te whakanui mā te pārekareka i ngā whare pekepeke, ngā dunk tanks, mā te kai keke, me te pō whakamānawa i te tau 40 o te kōhanga nei.
Mai i te tau 1986 ki tēnei wā, ko Te Hohepa Kōhanga Reo tērā e poipoi tonu ana i te reo Māori i roto i ngā tamariki me ngā mokopuna o Waitaha. Ko te ingoa o te kōhanga nō Hohepa Hona, he tangata i whai wāhi nui ki te hapori Māori o Ōtautahi, ā, e ora tonu ana ngā hua o āna mahi i roto i ngā tamariki e ako ana, e tipu ana hoki i konei.
Kua roa nei a kaumātua Tere Hita, e hāpai ana i tūāhuatanga o tēnei kōhanga, me āna hokinga mahara ki te whakatūwheratanga: “I tīmata mai te kōhanga nei ki te kura o Woolston. I tērā wā he iti noa iho ngā tamariki”. He tekau mā rua rātou. Ināianei, kua piki te rāhi o ngā tamariki ki te tata 50.
Tokotoru ngā tama a Henare Te Aika-Puanaki kua tipu mai ki te kōhanga nei, ā, he tokorua kua puta ki te kura kaupapa i tēnei wā tonu. Hei tāna, “Ko Hohepa tētahi o ngā kōhanga kua roa e tū ana.” Ka apiti atu ia “Ki te kore he mokopuna, kāore he kaupapa kōhanga reo.”
I ēnei rā, he tokomaha tonu ngā whānau kei te tatari kia wātea ngā tūranga ki ngā Kōhanga Reo o Waitaha.
Nā tana tū hei māngai mō Te Waipounamu ki Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo o te motu, ka tiro whakamua a Te Aika-Puanaki ki te puawaitanga o ngā kōhanga i Ōtautahi. Me tāna “kei te tino hiakai” ngā whānau kia whāngaihia o rātou tamariki ki te reo. E ai ki a ia “Ko te wero nui kei runga i te poari, ka mutu kei runga i a tātou katoa ko te whakatipu i te kaupapa kia tū anō ētahi atu kohanga reo, kia whānui ake i ngā kōhanga reo e tū kē ana i tēnei wā hei whāngai i tērā pīkau.”
Kei te kitea tonu ngā hua e ngā whānau, me tā rātou manaako nui ki whai wāhi ai ā rātou tamariki ki te reanga Kōhanga Reo.