Karanga mai rā e te Whare puipuiāki o Kokiri ki te kaupapa e rangitāmiro nei i a tāua ko Matua Rautia e karanga mai, karanga mai, karanga mai rā!
As we made our way onto the marae atea to answer the call of the house a wave of emotion came over me I felt it rise up from the depths of my belly and stir in my chest before it welled up in my eyes. After many months of wānanga and planning we had made it to the very first day. As we entered into the whare and saw the whānau there to welcome us my emotion subsided and I was able to settle into the whare and reflect on the important work that has gone on here since it opened. This would be no different. The opportunity to work with whānau that are caring for our most vulnerable of children is a privelege and an honour and I felt the reverence the sadness and the joy fill me in the moments before the Whaikōrero began. This was to be the beginning of something very special, a momentous moment.
