Raumati Rogers

Raumati sums up the Manaaki Tapoi programme using one word: “Whanaungatanga – it means that all of us here are whānau and we say that with pride. We’ve developed a real bond.”

Raumati heard about the programme through friends at school. “They said it would be a great experience to learn about tikanga maori and to connect with others that you haven’t met before.” And Raumati says that her experience has been even better than she expected. “As soon as we arrived we were meeting new people and making new friends. The Manaaki Tapoi programme has helped me to expand my knowledge and understanding, and to see things from new perspectives. It has really helped to build my self-confidence.”

Raumati has lots of plans for the future. Her goal is to become fluent in Te Reo and then use this knowledge to help teach other rangitahi.