The value of the Scholarship is $1,000 per annum

“When your kid’s sick you have to take them with you and as long as I told my lecturers what was going on they were really good about it. “Once everyone found out that I had a young child they were really comfortable about it and would even offer to babysit.” Megan says university life is often oriented around looking out for yourself “but that’s a little bit difficult when you have a baby in your life as well”. With older twin sisters, and her mother, who recently moved to Wellington, she said her family support network is huge “You hear a lot about young mothers who don’t have family support and really struggle but that’s just not true in my case. “Masterton is known for having a lot of young mothers and it’s good to know there are some accomplishments being made out there and the Teen Parent Unit is still going strong,” she said. “I love that I’m doing well for myself because it proves people wrong about what they thought I would become.” Megan says she often used to say ‘this is so hard I can’t do it anymore” but now she has been back to school, got a degree and “every day I get to go home to my beautiful girl”. whanau to know who we are, where we come from and what it means to be a descendant of Wairarapa Moana. Wananga will be one way in which we will achieve this goal. the provision of scholarships. “Our over-riding goal is to support our whanau to be capable, confident and strong within their own identity, culture and heritage as descendants of the original rangatira of the hapu and whanau of the Wairarapa Moana. “This means we need to do more to strengthen our whakapapa connections and revive our waiata and tikanga. This is what makes us who we are as a people. This will be an important focus for the Wairarapa Moana Trust going forward.” If you have queries about the services of the Wairarapa Moana Trust please contact the Wairarapa Moana office on 06 370 2608 or 0800 662 624 or visit the Wairarapa Moana website on www.wairarapamoana.org.nz Kaylin and her mother have a very close relationship and sometimes she is more like a little sister but with the added responsibility of being her mother as well, she said. “My husband and I are planning to have more children once I’ve got the academic stuff out of the way. Maybe at the end of 2008 we will think about it and at least by then I will have had six years with Kaylin and giving her all my attention.” Megan hasn’t been back to the Teen Parent Unit recently but has spoken with the co-ordinator Rae McKenzie and is planning to talk to the girls about her success and try and inspire them to be whatever they want to be. “Rae has done so much for me and I always said to her if I ever graduate you will be at the ceremony.” Looking back Megan said she has no regrets about life whatsoever. “I can look at myself and what I’ve achieved and compare that to what some people my age have done without a child to bring up and in some cases I’ve done better for myself”. “That’s really satisfying.”

.... Te awa Tauweru, te awa Makahakaha Rere atu ki roto i a Ruamahanga

The Mailer acknowledges Wairarapa Times-Age for information used in this article.

Wairarapa Moanatanga – supporting initiatives that assist Supporting the development of Wairarapa marae. Supporting the development of our future leaders through

Haere atu ra ki Wairarapa Moana ....

NAU MAI TAKU KURA MOKOPUNA

The CD of customary Wairarapa waiata, tauparapara and karakia is a vital cultural resource for all Wairarapa tangata whenua.

Available for purchase at $10 each (courier extra).

Contact the office on 06 370 2608 or 0800 662 624.