Te Aroha Paenga (Right front) with a table of keen Kawhe Klub participants
What do you get when you combine kawhe (coffee), people and te Reo Māori? When Sandra Groves checked out the Kawhe Klub at Far East Roastery last week, she found a whole lot of good vibes, heaps of kōrero and a friendly approach to learning te Reo Māori.
Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa kaimahi, Te Aroha Paenga, explained how it works. The learning is tailored to people with different levels of te Reo and each week they provide sound bites to kōrero. Resources are available to support learning from phrasing, to ordering kawhe, greeting each other, basic grammar, fun sayings, and other daily interactions. It is a great way to learn in a real-life setting that allows everyone to learn, practice, and connect with others on their Reo pathway—especially those who might otherwise not have the time to access more formalised learning.
Steve King and Jo Pepuere of Far East Coffee host the Klub and Steve reckons it's nice to have the kaupapa in an everyday situation to normalise te Reo Māori in our community and help people who don’t feel so comfortable speaking te Reo. You can join in (or not), everyone is welcome, and it is free.
Around 25 people have been attending with praise for the relaxed learning environment. Regulars Donna Biddle and Anna Barber find the klub awesome. Donna is learning a few more words to kōrero and enjoys seeing people’s reactions as her vocabulary expands. Anna Barber says it’s a relaxed environment and she is grateful to be able to bring her baby along to be amongst others speaking her language.
If you want to learn te Reo in a comfortable, relaxed setting and enjoy a kawhe at the same time, head along to the Kawhe Klub, it meets every Thursday 12-1 pm at Far East Roastery. They will be moving to other cafes around Turanga so keep an eye on the Kawhe Klub Facebook page @Kawhe Klub Turanga.
Contact Te Aroha Paenga at TROTAK (tearoha.paenga@trotak.iwi.nz) for further information. Thanks to Te Mātāwai Funding for supporting this great kaupapa, now in its 4th week.
Story by Sandra Groves www.firstchapter.co.nz
Photo Sarah Cleave
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