E manawareka ana Te Poari Matua o Te Kōhanga Reo ki te tohu i a Peggy Luke-Ngaheke, māngai mō te rohe o Ikaroa, hei heamana takirua mō te poari matua, hei hoa haere hoki mō Raniera Procter, māngai mō Te Tairāwhiti ki Te Poari Matua o Te Kōhanga Reo.   

Nō mai anō a Peggy Luke e mahi ana mō te kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo. Ko Peggy tētahi o ngā mātua tuatahi o te kaupapa, ā, mai i tērā wā ki tēnei wā kua noho ia hei mātua, hei kaiwhakangungu, hei kaiwhakahaere, hei mema poari hoki. E mārama pai ana a Peggy ki te kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo, ka mutu, kāore i kō atu i a Peggy mō tana whakapau kaha me tana mauroa ki te kaupapa hei painga mō ngā tamariki mokopuna o te motu.

I pōtihia tēnei tūranga e Anaru Rieper (Taitokerau), Hurimoana Dennis (Tāmaki Makaurau), Hone Te Rire (Tainui), Eugene Cassidy (Aotea), Dr Hoana McMillan (Waiariki Tūwharetoa), Lolo Hale (Mātaatua/Tauranga Moana) Matua Hook (Kahungunu), Raniera Procter (Tairāwhiti) me Tom Alesana (Te Waipounamu), ngā mema poari whai mana o te wā. 

He kaihāpai a Peggy mō ngā whānau maha, te mea ai hoki e mārama ana ia ki ngā taumaha me ngā taukumekume o ia rā, ka mutu, e whakapono ana a Peggy ko Te Kōhanga Reo te huarahi tika mō ngā tamariki mokopuna katoa e puāwai ai rātou i roto i te ao, e puāwai ai hoki ō rātou whānau. 

I a Peggy e tū ana hei heamana takirua e pirangi ana ia ki te toro ki ngā pakeke, kia mātāmua anō te noho āhuru ā ngā mokopuna ki ngā rekereke o ō rātou kaumātua. Koinei tētahi o ngā tauira o te kōrero e kī ana; “Pono ki te kaupapa, puna ko te reo.” 

Hei tā Raniera Procter, heamana takirua o te wā; “Nōku te waimarie, nōku te whiwhi kia noho ko tēnei pou o te kaupapa hei hoa haere mōku i te tūranga heamana o te Poari. Ahakoa e kaikinikini tonu ana te ngākau i te ngarohana o Te Wheoro, me tō tātou kuia a Kahurangi Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, e ngākau titikaha ana te poari kia māro tonu te tū o te kaupapa, kia puāwai ngā moemoeā o rātou mā kua riro. E hīkaka ana ahau kua kīkī haere ngā turanga o te poari i te uru mai o Lolo hei māngai mō Mātaatua/Tauranga Moana rāua ko Peggy Luke hei heamana takirua.” 

Kia tohua te wā tika e te kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo me te Kiingitanga, e hiamo hoki ana te poari matua o Te Kōhanga Reo, ki te pōhiri i Te Arikinui Ngawai hono i te po ki tōna tauranga manu, ki te whare Punanga oTe Kōhanga Reo hei amokairangi. 

The Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Peggy Luke-Ngaheke, representative of the Ikaroa rohe, as Co-Chair alongside Daniel Procter, representative of Te Tairāwhiti. 

The appointment is made by the vote of the current sitting members, Anaru Rieper (Taitokerau), Hurimoana Dennis (Tāmaki Makaurau), Hone Te Rire (Tainui), Eugene Cassidy (Aotea), Dr Hoana McMillan (Waiariki /Tūwharetoa), Lolo Hale (Mātaatua/Tauranga Moana), Matua Hook (Kahungunu), Raniera Procter (Tairāwhiti) and Tom Alesana (Te Waipounamu). 

Peggy Luke-Ngaheke has been part of the Kōhanga Reo movement since its very beginnings in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her deep involvement during those formative years helped shape the movement into a powerful force for Māori language revitalisation, Māori pride, and whānau connection. Over the years, Peggy has been a parent, a kaimahi, a trainer, a manager, and now serves as a member of the Trust Board. Yet, above all, her most important role is that of grandmother to her beloved mokopuna. 

Peggy is a strong advocate for whānau and deeply understands the everyday challenges our whānau face. She believes that Kōhanga Reo is not only a pathway for our tamariki, but also a vital stepping stone for whānau so that our children grow up proud, confident, and grounded in who they are. 

In her role as Co-chair Peggy is keen to reach out to our pakeke and kaumātua and bring them back into our kaupapa, to reconnect them with our mokopuna and whānau. 

Current Co-Chair and representative for Te Tairāwhiti Daniel Procter says "I’m fortunate to have a person of Peggys life experience to sit alongside me as Co-Chair to the Board. Although we continue to feel the loss of Te Wheoro and our Kuia Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, the Board is committed to building on the legacy of those who have gone before. It is exciting to finally have a full complement of representation with the appointment of Lolo as māngai of Mātaatua/Tauranga Moana and Peggy Luke as Co-Chair." 

The Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board is also looking forward to formally welcoming Te Arikinui Ngawai hono i te po to the role of Patron for Te Kōhanga Reo in due course. 

“Pono ki te kaupapa, Puna ko te reo”