Five professional accountants are sharpening their number skills by attending a four-day business course at Harvard University. The group is aiming to acquire vital skills that will help drive economic growth and development in their communities.
The course, Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities, is a certificate program offered by AFOA Canada in collaboration with the Harvard Business School.
Roimata Ah Sam, representing Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Te Rangi, explained that the program aims to unite accountants from Indigenous tribes in a shared space to exchange experiences and insights.
“Kia uru mai ki Harvard mō te wiki kotahi me te whāinga kia tohaina i ngā mātauranga, kia tohaina i ngā wheako, kia piki ake i ngā pukenga o te hunga e arahi ana i ō rātou iwi,”
The five accountants are members of Ngā Kaitatau Māori o Aotearoa, a national Māori accountants’ network that select representatives to engage in courses that assist Māori to excel in commerce and contribute to Māori economic development.
Miriamai Barbour, a board member of Ngā Kaitatau Māori o Aotearoa said their cohort is a mix of professionals working in both iwi and corporate spaces with one common goal.
“Ko te kaupapa o tēnei ohu, kia akiaki, kia tautoko, kia āwhina i te reanga hou kia para i tēnei huarahi, i whai ki tēnei huarahi o te mahi kaikaute. Koinā mātou,”
Kua huri te tai, he ao hou ki tua
“E hia kē mai ngā kaiako kua mea mai “E Hika!” Ngā kōrero kua ākona, ngā mātauranga kua ākona i a mātou e whakarongo ana kua wānangatia rawa tēnei kaupapa. Ehara i te mea kei te haramai ki tēnei waahi Pākeha nei e mea ana “Anei te huarahi,”
E kī ana a Barbour, me whai rautaki rātou, e whakawhirinaki ai te hunga rangatahi Māori ki tēnei ao.
“Kua neke, kua huri te tai nē? Ko tēnei te wā e tino hiahia ana tā mātou rangatahi ki te noho ki tā mātou ao Māori. He ao rerekē anō te ao kaikaute, engari me whai wā anō mātou ki te wānanga i ēnei kōrero,”
