October 06, 2013
Ngarimu Board invests in history
The Ngarimu VC and 28th Maori Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board has set aside $250,000 to fund histories of each of the Maori Battalion’s four rifle companies and related initiatives.
The work done by a team lead by Ngati Porou historian Monty Soutar on C Company from the East Coast has created a demand from other regions to match the effort.
Education Minister and board chair Hekia Parata says the funding is a special initiative to mark the 70th anniversary of the posthumous granting of the Victoria Cross to Second Lieutenant Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngarimu.
She says the Ngarimu Board it will help future Maori leaders to understand and appreciate the importance of good citizenship, giving back to the community and mana.
The board also intends to set up an Alumni Association so that previous scholarship recipients can contribute to the development of future Maori leaders through mentoring programmes and other investments.
Applications for this year’s Ngarimu Scholarships close on Thursday.
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