Ōhope couple striving for whānau success through continued education
Kylie Holmes and her partner, Harlem Ferrall, had never heard of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa until 2022 when they attended a mau rākau event at the Tauranga campus.
The couple, who are based in Ōhope, quickly discovered the wide range of study opportunities and soon after enrolled in Kāwai Raupapa Level 4.
Harlem chose mau rākau in Tauranga, while Kylie enrolled in raranga in Whakatāne. She’d realised her love for the artform after she weaved a wahakura earlier that year just before having their first pēpē.
“When I found out there was a raranga programme in Whakatāne, that really caught my attention. It seemed like such a great opportunity. I knew that it would be silly to pass it by. I thought it would be the perfect time for me to study while my baby was still young”.
Kylie went back to mahi halfway through 2023, and she admits that juggling life with a baby, while working and studying was a challenge.
With the support of her kaiako and fellow tauira, and with her partner also juggling the same commitments, she was able to complete the programme and proudly showcase her mahi at their end of year toi exhibition.
“At times I was really challenged, but I have a good partner and he’s very supportive. Classes were a bit of me time. I got to socialise, I got to be myself without my child, it was a good balance.”
This year both Kylie and Harlem will continue their study journey with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, working towards Toi Paematua Level 5 in raranga and mau rākau respectively.
The couple are confident that through furthering their education they will be able to make a positive impact within their young whānau and live out the vision of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, whānau transformation through education.
“Both of us really enjoyed our programmes because they made us feel closer to our culture, our tūpuna, and feel more connected within ourselves. Becoming parents in 2022 made us realise how much strengthening our pillars will make a difference for our offspring.”
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
Tikanga study boosts whānau presence on marae
Patrick and Donna Tobin (Ngāti Kahu) are a brother-and-sister duo studying tikanga alongside their wider whānau at Te Paatu Marae in Kaitaia, all working towards the betterment of their whānau, iwi, and marae.
A teacher’s path to understanding tikanga
Originally from South Africa, Franda Zondagh has called Aotearoa home since 2003, but it was through studying He Papa Tikanga with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that she began to feel a deeper connection to the place she lives and people she serves in her mahi.
Leading by example and learning te reo Māori
Liisa Wharepapa’s (Te Whānau ā Apanui) journey with te reo Māori wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was a goal waiting to be pursued until the moment she felt ready to take that step.
Returning home and reclaiming te reo Māori
After many years away building his professional career, Logan Bertram (Whakatōhea), returned home to Ōpōtiki with a clear goal of reconnecting with his whakapapa and creating a better future for his young whānau.
