Warriors’ Partners Launch Business: Learning of Te Reo

Warriors’ Partners Launch Business to Encourage Learning of Te Reo

6 February 2017 - Vodafone Warriors Jacob Lillyman and Blake Ayshford partners (Tui-kay Cole and Maria Hahipene) have launched a business called Tāonga by TMwhich produces te reo Maori learning resources as well as creative personalised designs.

Launched on Waitangi Day with the support of Cole’s iwi, Ngati Whatua o Orakei at Okahu Bay, Cole says it seemed the perfect place and time.

“We’ve called our business ‘Tāonga by TM’, which means ‘treasure’. The thought behind this is that the Maori language is very special to New Zealand and needs to be treasured. What better time to let others know what we are doing than on our national day, Waitangi Day?”

Hahipene who is from the Whakatane - Ngati Awa iwi says becoming parents was a lightbulb moment for them about the importance of te reo.

“Both Maria and I wanted to learn Te Reo and when we were discussing it, we realised our parents lived at a time where speaking te reo was forbidden so it wasn’t really passed down to us, it also wasn’t taught at primary school and at high school you had to choose to go into the bilingual unit or mainstream. The younger you are the easier it is to learn a language and as parents we were keen to make it part of everyday life for our children.”

Hahipene and Ayshford have two children a son Mason (5) and a daughter Marley, (3) while Cole and Lillyman have a daughter Arāni Lillyman (1).

Lillyman and Ayshford are incredibly supportive of the business venture and are confident learners of te reo, with both Vodafone Warrior players originating from Australia they are quite shy about speaking it says Cole.

“This is so common and one of the aims of our resources is to break down that fear of trying to speak Maori. Even I was scared in case I pronounced words incorrectly so I can understand how others may feel” Cole says. “When Maria mentioned she was going to make her Australian whanau te reo flash cards as a Christmas gift as she couldn’t find any, we decided wow there’s an opportunity here to make simplified modern resources so te reo is easily accessible to everyone who wants to learn.”

Hahipene is the creative mind and design skills in the business venture, designing the resources, while Cole has the business drive, is a teacher familiar with the education syllabus and deals the coordination and logistics of making things happen.

“It’s about making them interactive and fun, so rangatahi (younger generation) can learn without even knowing. The resources are perfect for use in day-care centres, schools, communities and at home, assisting to learn te reo in a fun way, bridging the gap between school and home.”

Tāonga by TM currently sells six different sets of bilingual flashcards; Ngā Tau (Numbers), Ngā Tae (Colours), Ngā Āhua (Shapes), Ngā Pū (The Alphabet), Āhua o Te Rangi (The weather) or Te Tinana (The Body) as well as creative art designs and bilingual calendars, with plenty more to come.

For more information Tāonga by TM or their Facebook page Tāonga by TM

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