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Te Puna Reo o Manga Tangaroa

  • #Mungzython - Walking for Manga Tangaroa

      11 February 2022
    Main image

    Tēnā koutou e ngā waewae tautoko o te kaupapa nei!

    MUNGZYTHON!

    https://forms.gle/L68KGhpjXCpijpdk8

    Let’s walk for Manga Tangaroa! Our king may never walk but we will walk for him and with him.

    We are all walking together to fundraise for the last things needed for Te Puna Reo o Manga Tangaroa, including a wheelchair lift, sensory room equipment and a Van with wheelchair access.

    You choose between Monday 21st March and Saturday 26th March prior to our Live Event.

    We will be walking with you!

    You find sponsors to sponsor you the $ dollar value of the number they choose. For example number 1 = $1, number 9 = $9 or number 20 = $20.

    You will need to complete the registration form below, once completed we will send you a participant card, and you can start finding sponsors to support you in your Hikoi for Manga Tangaroa.

    Please deposit the total funds raised into our fundraising account by the 26th of March 2022.

    Please Remember to use #MangaTangaroa and #Mungzython in all Social Media communication and feel free to share and invite your friends, whānau, colleagues, Aunty’s to walk with us too 💙

    Spot prizes for those who use our hashtags and post their pictures or videos!

    Kia kaha tātou and thank you again for your aroha and tautoko!

    Te Puna Reo o Manga Tangaroa

    We couldn’t do this without you!

    AROHANUI!!

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  • Whakaata Māori Interview with Whānau

      11 February 2022

    Manga Tangaroa is a cheerful and inquisitive 3-year-old who was born with a severe brain condition. His whānau has chosen not to focus on disability but rather on his possibilities.

    While there are no real appropriate reo Māori education facilities for him that can cater to both physical needs and Te Reo Māori, members of his whānau are taking matters into their own hands by building him one.

    “Ko Manga Tangaroa taku tino karangatanga i tēnei ao. He tamaiti motuhake. Tēnei tamaiti ka kiia nei he tama-ariki i runga i tona aroha nui ki te tangata katoa.”

    “Manga Tangaroa is my greatest calling in this world. He’s one of a kind. We consider my son a ‘tama-ariki’ or child of God for the love that he has for people."

    At week 34 of Clara Aperahama-Kopa's pregnancy, she says she was encouraged to terminate her pregnancy because of her child's brain damage but that was absolutely out of the question for her and their whānau.

    A place to learn

    This whānau is passionate about Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori - but the basics, such as attending a total immersion centre - were not possible for Manga.

    "Horekau he wāhi ako, he kura ako mōna. nā te nui o ōna māuiuitanga. Me taku pouri i aua wā me te whakaaro 'why should my baby miss out'."

    “There's nowhere for him to learn, a school for him because of his illnesses. I’m saddened because 'why should my baby miss out?'”

    In 2017, they sold their house in Auckland, freeing up pūtea to repurpose their family homestead in Kaikohe to be a fully accessible and total immersion puna reo. It's nearing completion.

    “He wāhi tino motuhake, me ngā rongo a tinana katoa te rongo a-taringa a-kanohi a-ringaringa ā wairua.”

    “It’s a unique place to stimulate all senses, physical, audio, visual, tactile and spirit.”

    Call for help

    The whānau have invested upward of $600,000 of their own pūtea to make this dream become a reality. They have exhausted their finances and are now reaching out for help to buy equipment for the centre.

    Mobility vehicles, hoists, and sensory equipment with an approximate total of $80,000 are needed – they’ve established a givealittle page to help get the funds.

    The Ministry of Education was contacted for comment.

    It's a whānau effort - Manga Tangaroa’s great-uncle Tawio Davis of Whaout Builders is helping with the build and his aunty, Letitia is gaining lots of public interest on the social media platform, TikTok.

    Music is a big part of Manga Tangaroa’s life because it's healing and therapeutic.

    “We all love singing to him. But when he hears that soul music, ka puta tetahi atu wairua harihari, wairua hihiko i a ia,” Aperahama Kopa said.

    A whānau and community effort helping to engage extraordinary children like Manga Tangaroa.

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