Newsletter draft Aug 2017 25 Sept 2017

KAIAKO
KIM ERIkseN-DOWNS
“I have always considered what mahi we do within Te korowai Aroha o Aotearoa a privileged and a
great honour, we are vessels entrusted with the care of many hearts and lives of our people. It is not
only an obligation to whakapapa, it is our responsibility to take great care, ensuring we honour the
Mana, Mauri and Tapu of all whanau, hapū as well as those of our other cultures we interact with.”
Kim Eriksen-Down’s - Iwi: Ngati Kahungunu, Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa, Whitikaupeka, Te Whatuiapiti.
Hapū: Ngati Kere,Tamakopiri, Turangitukua
This year our lead kaiako for Mauri Ora in Tuwharetoa is Kim Eriksen-Downs. Kim has been a
dedicated member of Te Korowai since 2005. Her committment to the kaupapa is seen and felt by
many who have journeyed through their transformation with Te Korowai Aroha.
She has recently married her love Brendon John Eriksen-Downs, he is a practising Iwi Kaiwhakaruruhau
and Turanga whanau Tuakana. Kim herself is also a mother to one beautiful and talented
daughter who is also an Iwi Kaiwhakaruruhau within Tuwharetoa. She has also had the privilege of
two more beautiful daughters gifted to share in her life by Brendon, Dani and Sonja.
Kim and Brendon have contributed to Te Korowai over the years bringing whanau hapū and Iwi out
of kahupo into the light of Mauri Ora. Kim has always considered the mahi we do within Te korowai
Aroha o Aotearoa as a privileged and a great honour, we are vessels entrusted with the care of many
hearts and lives of our people.
Kim believes it is not only an obligation to whakapapa, it is our responsibility to take great care, ensuring we honour the mana,
Mauri and tapu of all whanau, hapū as well as those of our other cultures we interact with and this is clearly acknowledge in her
work ethics and practices.
She has contributed in total 12 years of committment to Te Korowai Aroha. In 2005 Kim started as an Akonga from Ngati
Kahungunu, followed by Kai Toko Ako Kaiako in the 2006 which she continued for over 16 months to become a Kaiako. In those
days they completed 4 wananga for facilitation techniques and wananga foundational skills, this was under the guidance of Maree
Tukukino. In 2007 she became a Kaiako a Kaupapa, her first wananga was with Maree in Tainui.
She then went on to be a Kaituruki, to look at the quality of our wananga, and more recently in 2016 assisted with the Rangahau of
Turanga whanau, the delivery as Kaiako for the advanced practitioner training of Kaiwhakaruruhau. As she progressed through
the years totalling 12 this year it pleases her to say it has been a great journey and to this day she still loves the mahi we are so
privileged to share amongst our whanau , hapū and iwi.
Kim was mentored by some great whanau, hapū throughout Aotearoa, she sat at the feet of many within and external from Te
Korowai Aroha o Aotearoa. Maree Tukukino, Rawiri Kiriona, Te Rangimarie Warbrick and Jozie Karanga have been her Tuakana and
biggest Inspirations, to continue this path.
mAhuri totara
“Māhuri Tōtara, Ngā māhuri, tōtara kawea ngā moemoeā”
“Māhuri Tōtara the realisation of dreams”
The Māhuri Tōtara wananga focusing on growing tomorrow’s leaders today by
cultivating an exploratory space that encourages and challenges rangatahi to
experience, reflect and gently reawaken the richness of what it is to be māhuri
tōtara. It also assists rangatahi to realise their authenticity, facilitiate transformation
and be the leaders of change withing the world!
Jason Mareroa, Paihere Rangatahi.
Jason has been the lead kaiako/Paehere Rangatahi for Māhuri Tōtara for 5 years. Jason has
a vision of our rangatahi growing into OUR future leaders .
An essential element of Te Korowai Aroha o Aotearoa is to develop and maintain key
relationships within our communities. Part of his plan this year is the National Rangatahi
Strategy “ Maui Tikitiki a Taranga’ namely our Indeginious embodiement of Innovation to
be completed by the end of 2018
Jason has developed the ‘Indegineous Rangatahi Strategy’ Māui Tikitiki--A-Taranaga. This strategy will be delicately radical with
an agenda to revolutionize rangatahi participation by providing emergent direction centred around three focus areas;
1. Cultivate a shared understanding of Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga.
2. Acknowledge and empower the nature of Māui within every rangatahi.
3. Transform rangatahi development that thrives through adversity.
A huge part of Jason’s strategy is relationships. He has developed ongoing relationships with hapū, Iwi , collective agencies etc
who are supportive of their rangatahi and their future. His approach is innovative operating at the edge of current thinking, questioning
existing practice, opening new fields of enquiry and areas for actions. These are exciting times where our rangatahi will
lead the way for the future. Watch this space!
Mikaira Pau, Paihere Rangatahi/ E Tu Whānau
Mikaira is a vibrant dedicated member of Paihere Rangatahi. Mikaira has an inate abilty to warm people with his passion
for developing future leaders and assisting our whānau hapū and iwi toward their full potential of healthy strong
whānau.
Mikaira promotes both Te Korowai and E Tu wherever he possibly can .
Such areas include: Manurewa Marae, College Manurewa High, NZ Police, Mt Roskil Community Initiative, NZ Muslim
Association, Genesis Youth Program Mangere,Aorere College and such events as whānau hui, eg: Mangakino Whānau/
Hapū hui. NZ Muslim Association
“They have all given their hearts, time and lives to this and many other kaupapa. They were always challenging us, to not be comfortable
and always be on the edge of great change, to assist others with heart and Aroha in action to gain traction to believe in
our divine
connection to the kauae runga and the kauae raro, to ensure we know our public and private space for wellbeing.”
Kim is also currently a senior practitioner for E TU Whanau, Pou Arahi for Te Kakano Consultants alongside Brendon, a whānau
hapū Cultural Supervisor in her iwi of Tuwharetoa, assisted in the role as a Rangahau of Turanga whanau 2016, Kaiwhakaruruhau in
Tuwharetoa, and alongside Brendon Tane Ora and Wahine Ora Kaupapa to name a few.
It is with saddness we acknowledge that this is Kim’s last year as a Kaiako for Mauri Ora in Te Korowai Aroha, and wish to thank
you Kim for your dedication and committment.
6 “He whetū mārama - Guiding star - Living example “
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