Te Kete Waiora, a digital water testing kit that can be used physically or online to measure the safety of waterways, has been developed by Rangipo Takuira Mita and students of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa, who wanted to clean up their local waterways, together with Auckland University.
Rangipo Takuira Mita is 19 years old and her main focus is on reviving the environment: “Mēnā ka korero to manawa, tō aroha ka whai ara i to aroha i tēnei mōmō mahi me whai āhakoa te whai rawa, pūtea. Rauemi rānei ka taea te tutuki, āhakoa te aha “
(If your soul speaks, your love for this kind of work will keep you going, regardless of wealth, money, or resources, no matter what. Kete Waiora empowers you and your patients to engage in more meaningful kōrero that leads to better health outcomes.)
In 2017, the descendant of Te Arawa, plus students from Te Wharekura o Manurewa, started the "Te Kete Waiora" project out of a desire to rescue and revitalise some South Auckland waterways. The project presented real challenges.
"Kua riro ngā kura māori e kore whiwhi ana i nga taputapu, i nga rauemi pērā ki nga kura pākeha, āno hoki kua riro rātau i tētāhi o nga awa me nga moana rānei kia whakarauora ki tōnā taumata āno, kua riro hoki ngā marae, nga rangatahi rōpū nga rōpū taiaō e tiaki nei ana i te taiao mai i tēnei mōmō taputapu, kia whakarauora i te wai koira taku ngako nui."
(Kura Māori doesn't have the same equipment and resources as Pākehā schools But then again our youth have taken over looking after some of the rivers and seas, aiming to revive them to their true form. They are youth groups and environmental groups that protect the environment with this type of testing equipment. To revive the water, that's my main goal.)
She says there are so many pollution issues. For example, there are 47 rivers in the Auckland region alone, so the group is focusing on four areas of Puhinui Awa.
"This project is going ahead for the sole purpose of giving back to the next generation so that waterways can be here in the next 10 years to come," Mita says.
“Koina te ngako nui mōku nei kia whai i ōku uri whakatipu, uri whakaheke i o rātau waahi ki roto i te taiao a pēpēha nei, a tuakiri nei a tangata nei."
(That's the big reason - for my descendants in their places in the environment, and this is their identity )