Tu Hokianga Tu Pakari Trust
The Tu Hokianga Tu Pakari Trust is a systematic community development trust set up with the assistance of the Stronger Community Action Fund (SCAF) this fund was set up by Hon Steve Maharey (2001) a then radical community led government initiative empowering the people to come up with solutions to their own problems.
Weve done the community consultation thing and found a need for a learning center, a recreation sports center, a cultural center and a place for us to gather “a central hub”.

Learning center

What that means for us in the Hokianga because of our largely dispersed communities is the upgrading of the existing centers in the more populated areas with good governance to cater for these needs.
A learning center has been up and running for some 3 years (Omapere) within the trust office which has led to great success even leading to fulltime employment. Three more sites in other main centers Taheke, Whirinaki, and Rawene have been identified as secure places to run the new initiative called “Hokianga Hooked online”, these places will be available to people in the community who wish to upskill themselves, write CVs, research on the internet and join the many helpful communities on the web.

Walter Korewha is the IT person and current trust Manager who continues to develop in his role, and has enrolled in the Unitec Not-For-Profit- Management Post-Graduate Diploma course which commenced in Feb 2006 he is supported by a proactive board of trustees. Mikaere Korewha (Rawene) is the Chairman, Eileen Te Whata Colley (Opononi) is the Secretary, Helen Edmonds (Whirinaki), Te Arani Te Haara (Pakanae) and Marara Rogers (Otaua) are the remaining Trustees, Gloria Naera is the Assistant Accountant. The board is currently looking for two more trustees from within the South Hokianga region who are passionate about community development.

Recreation sports center

Work has begun to secure a permanent location for the trust, a suitable prefabricated building for relocation has been identified, discussion with a local architect, and discussion with the Far North District Council (FNDC) and the landowner in respect of the necessary consent processes are underway funding applications are now being processed and we should be in our new location before August 2006. The new location will include a weights room a spa pool and a sauna.
The trust has again this year decided to fund the annual “hoe” to Mangungu as it sees the potential to develop leadership, promote health and well being in the south Hokianga youth with the 3 day arduous journey tracking the ancestral route to Horeke. Funds will be applied for at all the sites to accommodate for similar facilities.

Cultural center

The trust has just recently sponsored a junior kapa haka celebration culminating in the Senior Kapa Haka Dressed rehearsal at the Opononi Area School, in term four of each year the trust will support the Junior Kapa Haka festival and also help the other centers find funding to provide for facilities to host events such as this.

Central Hub

What is central for us in the Hokianga is in our own back yard so it was not appropriate for us to build just one hub, and as further consultation indicated we needed to look at our current centers and start developing these first, the dream is to develop these to such a degree to eventually host big events in all our centers who knows Olympic games 2300?
Hokianga Hooked online initiative first venue at Taheke
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Trust Manager
Name: Walter Korewha
Email: tuhokianga@xtra.co.nz