Kura ā-Iwi kids from Murupara are set to embark on a life-changing experience to Japan. The group of 11 children and five adults from Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau will be hosted by the Ainu people of Hokkaido.
TKKM o Tawhiuau students are set to go on their two-week school holiday in Japan, but are they ready for the challenge ahead?
School principal Pem Bird says, “These descendants of Ngāti Manawa are confident in the Japanese language so it's going to be a big test for us to be immersed in the language while we are there.”
The students of Tawhiuau are taught four languages, Māori being the first, then English, Mandarin, and Japanese. Earlier this year, they hosted a delegation from Japan and now the delegates want to repay the gesture.
“We are all so excited because we will be visiting the Ainu of Japan. That's the reason for our trip,” says student Kimiora Honeycombe.
“This will be my first time going on an aeroplane. This will also be the first time that I will be travelling with my friends and family,” says student Taruke Rangawhenua.
The school has been fundraising for the trip since the start of the year. They will be visiting the schools and communities of the Ainu people.
Bird says, “We'll be going with the belief that our children know that the world is their oyster just like their ancestors.”
For most, it will be a first-time experience off shore, but the gains will be remembered for a lifetime.