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A small early childhood centre has received a much-needed boost of funding.
The Harcourts Foundation, the charitable arm of real estate company Harcourts, has donated $2250 to Te Koohanga Reo o Awaruaiti Waiuku.
Christine Seymour, one of the business owners of Harcourts Port Realty, said that she felt that the early childhood centre was a worthy recipient of the foundation, after hearing the centre needed new equipment.
“Kate Tuatini of Te Koohanga Reo o Awaruaiti came to visit me, and I felt they would be a great recipient for funds from the Foundation. A little money from each sale from our office goes into the Harcourts Foundation.
“She explained that they were passionate about Te Reo, but were very short of funds to buy play equipment. For the little ones to play with inside, they had old, torn mats and rollers.
“I felt that Te Koohanga Reo o Awaruaiti Waiuku was a worthy recipient as Franklin is a multi-cultural community and this was the first time that we would be supporting a group fostering the growth of Te Reo,” she said.
The Harcourts Foundation began in 2008 when they asked themselves what they could do to help invest and give back to their communities. That question led to the Harcourts Foundation being set up in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa to help provide support and enrich the communities they were in.
“Te Koohanga Reo o Awaruaiti is a small rural daycare dedicated to providing a rich, immersive learning environment for our tamariki based in Waiuku. The donation from Harcourts means so much to us,” Kate Tuatini said.
“We managed to purchase some soft play toys for the tamariki. The funding helped us hugely, ensuring our tamariki have a safe and stimulating outdoor environment to learn and grow.
“Their support shows that our community cares about our tamariki, about nurturing te reo Māori from the very beginning”, Tuatini said.
Recently, the foundation has reached a milestone and raised $9,000,000 since its inception.
“The Harcourts Foundation really is at the heart of our core values – people first, doing the right thing, being courageous and fun and laughter. The Harcourts Foundation is the embodiment of what it means to be part of Harcourts,” Harcourts International managing director Mike Green said.
