My mum has started at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa this year after losing her reo after leaving high school over 40 years ago.

I was able to learn some in high school for 4 years but not enough to be fluent. Myself being able to get the pronouciation to support her has been a help for her journey.

But watching her journey and the whānau not understanding how hard it is to come back to learn when you are 60 with 0 technolgy skills (this was her first ever email address).

I have seen people praise her and encourage her. But when it comes to showing up and helping her get around it is met with resistence. Due to health, she is unable to drive and due to location she buses into her night classes which takes 2 hours. So to be picked up at 9pm isn't a hard ask, but her biggest support make it hard.

I am such a proud daughter to see my mum continue to keep pushing through even though it felt like everything was against her to begin with.