Te Ara Kauhoe Fund

In this region, being in or near water is part of everyday life, whether at the beach, in rivers, or in swimming pools. Therefore, ensuring children and young people are confident and safe in and around water is essential.

Yet swimming education has not always reflected the identity, culture and lived experience of the communities it serves. With more than half of the region identifying as Māori and one of the youngest populations in the country, there is a clear need for swim education that is both technically excellent and culturally responsive.

Te Ara Kauhoe focuses on growing qualified swim and water safety instructors from within Tairāwhiti, equipping them with nationally recognised qualifications alongside strong cultural capability.

Tomairangi Higgins (centre) with Te Ara Kauhoe instructors and students, who are helping build swimming and water safety skills in East Coast communities.

What growing the Te Ara Kauhoe fund means:

• More locally based, qualified swim instructors
• Greater access for rural and coastal whanau
• Learning environments that reflect the communities they serve
• Skills and capabilities that remain within our region

Income generated from the fund will help remove financial barriers for future trainees and ensure water safety education continues to grow in ways that meet the needs of the region.

By supporting this fund, donors are investing in safer communities, stronger local capability, and confident young people who feel at home in and around the water, now and for generations to come.