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Download AudioA trustee for the Ngārimu Scholarships says making a wider range of scholarships available is a way to keep alive the legacy of Victoria Cross winner Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngārimu and the 28 Māori Battalion.
This year’s scholarships were presented at a ceremony at Te Rau Aroha Museum on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi last Friday.
Linda Te Aho says while in the past they’ve have gone for study in topics like law, medicine, and te reo Maori, the board under chair Kelvin Davis believes excellence in vocational study also needs to be acknowledged.
“So we had one student wanting to set up his own construction business and another who is gasfitting and drainlaying and plumbing and so on. Those are really important contributions being made to our society and our communities so we wanted to reward students who are grounded in their culture and showing leadership in those spaces,” she says.
A highlight of the ceremony was the kawe mate for the late Sir Wira Gardiner and the launch of a new video display unit at the museum in his name.
The unit will showcase the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion video competition taonga and also house the names and whakapapa of all scholarship winners over time.
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