Ehara i te mea ohorere inā te nui o te hiahia āwhina kai a Te Ope Whakaora i te wā kirihimete nei. Koira te whakahau a te heamana o te marae o Te Puea a Hurimoana Dennis.
Tōna tekau mā ono mano ngā tamariki i āwhinatia e Te Ope Whakaora, heoi, hei tā Dennis, e pēnei ana te āhua i te maha kē atu o ngā take kei te pēhi i ngā whānau.
E ai ki a Dennis he mea pāpouri ngā whānau e whia rau e noho pōkaikaha ana.
“Koinā te āhuatanga ōrite mai i te tīmatatanga o tā tātou nei kaupapa Manaaki Tangata, he pōhara kē te nuinga o ngā whānau Māori,” i mea atu ia.
E ai ki ngā tautauranga hōu tekau mā rima mano e whitu rau e iwa tekau mā rima ngā whānau i hāpaitia e ngā pouaka kai.
Hei tā Dennis he huahua ngā mate e pā kino nei ki ngā whānau e manaakihia ana e rātou.
“Ko te hara tonu ake rā, ngā mea hara ā-whare ngā mea patua, ngā mea ngāngara, ngā waipiro, ērā mea.”
“Koinā te nuinga o ngā whānau Māori. Koirā te āhuatanga i roto i te wairua o te whānau.”
Mai i te tau rua mano tekau mā ono i pūare ai te marae o Te Puea i ngōna kuaha ki te manaaki i te hunga kāinga kore, e toru rau e whā tekau mā rima ngā whānau i whakawhiwhia ki ngā kāinga hōu.
“Tata ki te kotahi rau rua tekau mā rima ngā whānau e haere ana nei i roto i ngā whare hōu. He nui ake te mahi a mātou a Manaaki Tangata.”
E kimi putea tauoko ana Te Ope Whakaora ki te marea hei āwhina ngā whānau pōkaikaha mā te Āpira Kirihimete tae noa ki te tekau mā rima ā tērā marama.