Maungarongo Marae Trainers Course

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 31, 20 January 1987, Page 12

Maungarongo Marae Trainers Course

Nine local people recently completed a three-week training course at Maungarongo Marae to teach t:hem how to train others. l.isa Mareikura. Debbie Kaiwhare, Vera Wilson, Whetu Mareikura from Maungarongo and three people from the Raetihi Marae took part in the course, as well as one person from New Plymouth and another from Wanganui. The group were taught on an individual basis by Sam Bishara, a tutor from the Wanganui region employment board. Each person concentrated on their individual field of expertise which resulted in a diverse range of subjects including weaving, administration, caligraphy, music and drama, catering and aviation. The course was in accordance .with TAPS programmes around the country — the aim being to

instruct individuals to enable them to pass their knowledge on to unemployed people in their area. Mr Bishara was very enthusiastic about holding the course on the Marae and thp chance to assist others. "The emphasis today is on training for employment — the trainees learn in an environment that is familiar to them," he said. "The Marae has always been the traditional place of learning. The majority of people these trainers will be instructing will be Maori and it is imperative to have the Maori aspect when training." Mr Bishara said that some of the success of the recent course was because of the pooling of resources within the group which meant that the trainees could learn from each other.