New iwi community services buildings completed with the help of scholarship trades students

Wirangi Luke Mark Oldershaw Henry Ma'alo outside the Hinerua building.

Following two years of hard work and collaboration, Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa has opened a new building at Te Whiti Park in Waiwhetū, Lower Hutt, to provide extended hauora services to the community.

The new structure was built by 44 Whitireia and WelTec ākonga (students) doing on-the-job training as part of their construction trades certificate funded by the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training scholarship.

The building has been named Hinerua, acknowledging the dedication of two women, Hine Luke and Elizabeth (Betty) Winitana, who during the 1960s established marae-based health and wellbeing services for the community.

Te Tumu Whakarae chief executive of Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, Wirangi Luke, said the services offered at the new centre will be steeped in the traditions of sharing knowledge, sharing kai and networking - whakawhanaungatanga.

“It has been a wonderful process for us to think back to the good work of these two amazing wahine and really reflect on the ‘why’ of providing services to our whānau and community.

“The idea of young people from our community helping build what is needed for all is not new for us, so having the ākonga, many of whom have links to Te Āti Awa, work on the Hinerua building has been meaningful and appropriate. It is our hope that they can bring their own young one day to see the fruits of their hard work and learning,” Luke said.

WelTec programme manager Henry Ma’alo has been guiding the students through their training on-site in Waiwhetū.

“We have had two groups of MPTT construction trades ākonga work on the project and we invited all of them back to see the end product - there were lots of smiling faces! I reminded them that their hard work and dedication has created something meaningful for the community, that every nail and piece of timber is thanks to them, and they are all extremely proud of being part of this,” Ma’alo said.

Te Pūkenga executive director, region 3, Mark Oldershaw, said Te Pūkenga was looking forward to building on the relationship with the iwi.

“The essence of our long-standing relationship with Te Āti Awa is brought alive when we collaborate on a project like this - together we are giving meaning to ākonga coming through the education system, we are teaching them real-life skills to help them stand on their own feet and feel proud, and we are helping so many in the community who rely on accessible health and wellbeing services.”