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HUA PARAKORE ORGANIC MÄRAMökai Kainga – giving back to the communityMökai Kainga Mäori Trust CEO Robert Te Whare and the gardens supplying the Soup Kitchen.Mökai Kainga Mäori Trust is continuing itsgreat work in the community by extendingthe existing mära kai project to the Sisters ofCompassion Soup Kitchen in Wellington.Mäori and non-Mäori are being encouragedto give back to the community that hasserved them so well. For the last three yearsthe garden has been used by the communityto grow vegetables and fruit. Mökai KaingaCEO, Robert Te Whare saw the opportunity forfamilies to grow their own fresh vegetables.This has now extended to the Soup Kitchenin inner Wellington, where Mökai Kaingaworkers and volunteers help at the SoupKitchen run by the Sisters of Compassion.For more than 120 years, the Sisters andco-workers have been committed to workingtogether in the spirit of compassion,openness and integrity to meet the needs ofthe aged, the sick, and disadvantaged in ourcommunities. The Soup Kitchens are one ofmany voluntary projects they assist.Robert Te Whare noticed a high numberof Mäori, young and old regularly visitingthe kitchen. He found out that most werebeneficiaries, dealing with numerouschallenges.He proposed the idea that they contributesomething back to the Soup Kitchen, by wayof growing and donating vegetables. Robertgave them a 20m x 20m plot to grow theirown vegetables. People voluntarily attend thegardens every Monday from 10am to 12pm.Te Puni Kökiri Mära Kai fund is just oneof the many great contributors to thecommunity response for the gardens,formally known as “The Block”, now dubbed“The Garden of Eden” in Owhiro Bay.Just recently Robert helped organise afundraising venture to purchase a 10’ x 6’green house for raising seedlings for theSoup Kitchen.Robert sees the community garden as agreat way to get Mäori to contribute to agood cause and give back to the community.He is amazed at the knowledge that thesevolunteers come with and what they are ableto bring to the garden.He also sees the garden as an opportunityto teach Mäori cultural concepts to thevolunteers, with the hope that they are ableto share with others what they have learntat the Mökai Kainga mära.Robert says the future for Mökai Kaingamära is strong. Many local families as wellas the Soup Kitchen are reaping the benefitsof hard work that volunteers have puttowards the project.He believes this is one area where Mäori canhelp each other to reach self sufficiency,something the whole community hasembraced.20TE PUNI KÖKIRI | KÖKIRI | KÖANGA / SPRING 2012