Housing a ‘nesting place' for kaumatua
Waihōpai Rūnaka Kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Cyril Gilroy is looking forward to moving into his unit overlooking Murihiku Marae this year. PHOTO: NINA TAPU
A southland man is counting down the months until he can live beside his ancestors.
Waihōpai Rūnaka kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Cyril Gilroy has spent more than two decades dreaming about living near his tūpuna (ancestors) — now he is just months away from that dream coming true.
Waihōpai Rūnaka and Te Runanga ō Ngāi Tahu helped realise Mr Gilroy's dream, at the opening of kaumātua papakāika (housing for the elderly) at Murihiku Marae last Thursday.
A ceremony was held at the site, where eight new units have been built.
Mr Gilroy said the building of the housing units had been a blessing.
"Now I can stand on the hill and have a look at the marae. . . and see my own tūpuna," he said.
"The significance is that the aroha we have for our people is to give our kaumātua a house to live."
The units are part of the second stage in establishing onsite elderly housing and the realisation of a vision the local rūnaka has been working towards for more than 20 years.
Waihōpai Rūnaka deputy chairman Joe Wakefield said the housing would allow the elderly to return to how Māori used to live.
"It's getting back to the way. . . our people used to live together, in our papakainga villages," Mr Wakefield said.
"It's like a kohanga, a nesting place for our kaumātua.
"Down here . . .our kaumātua. . . are reinvesting back into our whānau and our community with their knowledge and experiences — and passing it on to the next generation."
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga) and Te Runanga ō Ngāi Tahu funded the building of the units.
Bragg Building and Design constructed the papakāika units.
Mr Gilroy is looking forward to being able to congregate with the other tenants and get back to communal living.
"It [will be] a place where all us elders all together, can manaaki (help) each other, tautoko (support) each other and grow the kai.
"It's our pā," he said.
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