Destination Reo! Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori 2011

Destination Reo! Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori 2011 - next week

Kia ora, a new on-line tool launched this week brings te reo Maori learners and speakers together to learn, shop and enjoy.

The mapping tool, developed by Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu and powered by Google Maps, allows users to quickly find te reo Maori-friendly services, learning opportunities and events nation-wide… even world-wide!

Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Toitu Te Kura Manager Charisma Rangipunga says the website is available to anyone who is te reo-friendly, be it businesses, services, providers or entertainers.

“You don’t need to be a fluent speaker, it’s for anyone willing to give it a go,” Charisma Rangipunga says.
“Someone using the tool might want a te reo speaking doctor, who can pronounce their child’s name correctly. Or there might be a carpenter learning te reo Maori who wants to practice with customers and clients. This is a great way of letting people know where you are and finding out the best places to go, to speak and be exposed to te reo Maori.”

The tool sorts services into three activities: ako, hoko and korero or learn, shop and enjoy. Listings have already sprung up in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland), Motueka, Otautahi (Christchurch) and Otepoti (Dunedin). Charisma Rangipunga says this is just the beginning.
“We want destinationreo.com to be an access point for anyone and everyone to find te reo services, resources and initiatives quickly and easily. And it’s a great way to promote te reo friendly businesses and events.”

For the week starting Monday 4 July, to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori 2011, there will be competitions encouraging people to visit the site, use the tool for the first time and share it with their friends and whanau through Twitter and Facebook.

Adding a service is easy. Visit www.destinationreo.com and fill in your details. You can also add links to your Facebook, Twitter or website, upload photos, logos and personalise your look. For more information email destinationreo@gmail.com or phone 0800 KAI TAHU.
Destinationreo.com is a Kotahi Mano Kāika (KMK) initiative funded by Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu. KMK’s goal is the revival of te reo Maori in the home and creating a generation of Maori language speakers who support and sustain the health of the language going into the future.

ENDS

© Scoop Media