Kenya Williams

Ngāpuhi, Tūhoe

Kaiako

Graduate of Poutuarongo Te Rangakura-Kaiwhakaako

Kenya feels extremely blessed to come from a village whānau, raised closely with her aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Her papakainga is in the valley of Waihapa, Whangaroa which is where her mother’s whānau originate. She describes it as a “humble little town”. 

Kenya moved to Australia with her whānau when she was five years old, but she yearned to return home. When she became a mother, the call to return and raise her children in her culture was clear. In 2016, with two children under three years of age, Kenya returned home and dedicated herself to her reo and culture. She has an ever-evolving “itch” to do more, serve more, learn more and connect more. Kenya is now māmā to four beautiful girls ranging in age from four to nine.

Not having any prior knowledge of Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Kenya applied to study with us in 2019. She was looking for a place that would align with who she was and knew as soon as she had completed her academic counselling that Te Wānanga o Raukawa could provide her with the environment she wanted. It became her “second home” for the following three years. The Wānanga ensures that you don’t leave any part of yourself or your whānau behind while you are studying.

Kenya has always had a passion to empower children and it was through the journey of her children within the Kohanga Reo culture that she realised the potential of Māori education. She chose to study Te Rangakura Kaiwhakaako because she wanted to cater for children who, like herself may have been disconnected from their culture.

“Studying with the Wānanga was a “journey” more than just obtaining a tohu. It was a journey of self-discovery, growth and healing. The iwi and hapū component challenged me to discover who I was and where I came from. The te reo Māori studies pushed me to express who I was, and the teaching component drove me to become proficient in my chosen field”.

Kenya is now working in a marae-based bilingual school and is applying everything she has learnt on her journey and guiding her students through some of the same challenges and celebrations that she met.

Kenya says, “I am hoping to empower Māori students who are “stuck” in that grey area between total immersion and mainstream education. I feel this is only the beginning for me. I have grown immensely as a wahine, as a māmā, as a Kaiako and in serving my people and culture.

What I love about Te Wānanga o Raukawa is that the people there surround you like a korowai throughout your journey. The tikanga and manaaki of the wānanga reflects the aroha for the real-life challenges we face as Māori”.

Kenya’s aspirations are to move into the total immersion space in the future and complete a Masters of Māori Education.

For more information about this course visit https://www.wananga.com/bachelor-of-teaching-bilingual