Canterbury region reaches out to Hawke’s Bay

Members of the Hawke’s Bay region with the cheque given to them by the Canterbury region

The devastation that Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked on the Hawke’s Bay region came as the greatest shock to everyone around Aotearoa New Zealand.

One school, Hukarere Girls’ College, where 40 students had to be evacuated in the middle of the night, will never re-open on the current site. Teachers are providing classes both online and at a learning hub at a church in Havelock North.

On a balmy, sunny Sunday afternoon in April, PPTA Te Wehengarua Hawke’s Bay members gathered at a local pub where they hosted members of the Canterbury regional committee who gave them the remainder of the region’s earthquake fund.

“Having gone through natural disasters of our own, we realised the importance of being able to provide monetary support to the worst affected college and also to the Hawke’s Bay province in general,” says PPTA Canterbury regional chair Thomas Newton.

“Many of our regional members have close ties to Hawke’s Bay, so it was a privilege to be able to contribute almost $24,000 of what remained in our Earthquake Hardship Fund to ensuring that some of the needs of the community will be met in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

“Being able to meet kanohi ki te kanohi and kōrero with association members filled us with great hope as Hawke’s Bay begins to rebuild. We witnessed a strong sense of optimism and heard many stories of how hard staff are working to meet the needs of those families that have been dislocated or have lost access to online learning. Moreover, as is always the case, we heard stories of staff who had suffered tremendously and who were still putting the needs of their learning communities first.

“Our thoughts stay firmly with all the educators and the students of Hawke’s Bay as they go through what will be an extensive rebuilding process throughout their region. Kia kaha.”