Kia ora ko Andrea toku ingoa

I am 55 years old

My why, is so many reasons.

Firstly for myself, I’m what you call a procrastinator I start but always put it off for something/someone else. I need to be more motivated to get to my end goal and that is hei awhi mai i taku mohio ki taku reo. To acknowledge my tupuna, kia kotahi ai me to tatou whenua.

Secondly, my father has dementia and is slowly deteriorating. He often speaks Maori to me, some words I understand but there is no way I can put them into a sentence. His frustration angers me because I sadly can’t understand him.

Thirdly, for my mokos. They are everything to me, they are my legacy, but without knowing who I am how can I leave them a legacy. I need them to know where they are from, who they are related to and belong to and to understand our beautiful Te reo

This is my why.