By Maraea Bellamy, General Manager/Pou Ārahi
Ruapehu REAP is one of the smaller REAP situated in the beautiful central North Island.

We became a REAP in 1979. The new organisation emerged from an existing local education programme. The geographic area we serve sits in two District Councils, Rangitīkei in the north and Ruapehu in the south.

There are several Iwi within our region and all except one are fully engaged in Te Tiriti o Waitangi claims. Ngāti Rangi is the only Iwi in our region who has settled its Te Tiriti o Waitangi claim with the Crown.

Our geographic area is beautiful – we sit under beautiful maunga, surrounded by equally beautiful walking tracks and awa.

Sadly like many rural areas our population has declined over time with people seeking employment and education opportunities elsewhere. Although in more recent times individuals and couples with no previous connection with the region are retiring here.

There are four towns in our region and several smaller settlements – all surrounded by farms.

Our most northern town is Raetihi which has a population of just over 1,000 with a median age of 33 years – 26 years for Māori, who make up 66.8% of the population. Ruapehu REAP’s northern office is located in the Ngāti Uenuku Trust building, Raetihi. This is but one example of our healthy relationship with Iwi in our region. Prior to that we were located in the Ngāti Rangi offices, Ohakune, only relocating as their mahi and workforce expanded.

Our most southern town, and home to our main office is Taihape/Mokai Patea. It has a population of 1,790. The median age is 28 years - 40 years for Māori, who make up 50% of the population.

The townships of Ohakune and Waiouru towns are located between Raetihi and Taihape. This is the context within which Ruapehu REAP operates.

People – he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata - are a priority for our organisation. We want to reduce barriers to education, and one way to do that is to not charge for our programmes or keep charges to a minimum. We also provide administrative services to the public and we hire out rooms at our Taihape office, at very reasonable rates, as there are so few venues for hire in Taihape.

Our staff are frequently called on to assist individuals, mainly the elderly, who ‘pop’ into the office for assistance with technology issues. We do provide digital programmes and the off-shoot of this is that we become the ‘go to organisation’ for any digital technology issue. We have learnt through our classes that for many of our elderly their whānau are spread throughout the world and so they have no choice but to enter the digital technology world. In addition many government services are now online which has proven to be very challenging to many in the community.

During this time a large percentage of people within our community have been part of our Ruapehu REAP team – staff, tutor, board member, or as a learner. This richness of history and connection is one of the strengths of our organisation.

In recent years we have delivered more programmes in collaboration with Iwi and marae, to develop and strengthen iwi capability. The programmes have increased the capacity of marae to retain their kawa and tikanga. The population trends and Iwi engagement in the Te Tiriti o Waitangi process is the rationale for Ruapehu REAP assisting, on request, programmes that focus on outcome for Iwi, hapu and marae.

Other ACE programmes include but are not limited to: governance training; sign language; managing household budgets; small business skills; preparing to purchase a home; te reo Māori; harakeke; parenting programmes; driver licences; defensive driving; preparing for interviews; numeracy and literacy; skills to become a home industry and beekeeping.

We have also been providing wānanga to build the capacity on our marae.

In 2020 Ruapehu REAP, in collaboration with Mōkai Patea Services, delivered a programme at Moawhango Marae. The programme was open to all and people came from as far away as Auckland. The aim was to assist iwi and marae to build their capacity to manaaki manuhiri.

The programme consisted of: karanga and whaikorero; the revitalisation of te reo me ona tikanga; understanding of karanga me ona tikanga; confidence in performing karanga; understanding of whaikōrero me ona tikanga; and confidence in performing whaikorero.

Those who attended spoke highly of the programme but equally about the benefits of coming home to their marae and rekindling relationships.

The planned second wānanga was delayed because of Covid – but was finally held in May this year. This recent wānanga saw more uri of Mōkai Patea Iwi, but primarily Ngāti Whitikaupeka Iwi, return home. In total there were 33 in attendance plus six tutors - all Mōkai Patea uri (decendants).

The second wānanga expanded to include whakapapa, hitori o Mōkai Patea, waiata, moteatea (traditional chant), and the composing of mahi-ā-ringa (actions).

Many said that they were grateful for the programme as it gave them something to come home to, and to continue to spend more time with whānau, some they knew and some they were meeting for the first time.

As stated earlier Mōkai Patea is currently going through the Treaty of Waitangi Claims process. The process is taxing and can tend to be divisive in nature. However, it also gives claimants and Iwi an opportunity to come together, to reclaim their stories, and to retell those stories in waiata, haka, moteatea. It also means that that marae must cater for the hearings and manaaki manuhiri - from the pōwhiri at arrival, to the hosting and provision of kai, through to the poroporoaki. The ability to manaaki manuhiri extremely well is something every marae, hapu and iwi take seriously. Therefore the wānanga that we have held alongside Iwi and marae, bring the hau kāinga together, provides us with the opportunity to contribute to building capacity. We believe our small contribution has been a major achievement for our organisation. Working together as a whānau, using the ako method of teaching is an achievement of these wānanga.

Looking ahead Ruapehu REAP, along with our wider REAP whānau, is rethinking how we adapt and change for the future. During this time of uncertainty, challenges and the loss of lives, there have also been positive gems of learning. In our case this has been getting back to nature and finding ways to better utilise our resources. Ruapehu REAP is positive about moving forward and changing how we work. Unfortunately we have just gone through a lengthy period where mandates and isolation have put change management on hold for several months, with minimal interaction with our community.

So in July 2022 it appears we are coming out of the tunnel and look forward to discussing, testing and consolidating some real changes for our organisation and developing programmes that assist our communities to become resilient, utilise technology with confidence, and enhance their appreciation of our beautiful region of Mōkai Patea and Ruapehu.