19/05/2026
Lawrence Singh
He whakaaro aroha tēnei mō tētahi o ā mātou tāne, Singh. ❤️
In one week, this brother graduates from our Ngā Kete Wānanga Solutions programme.
And truthfully… words probably will never fully explain how proud we are of him.
Because people often only see the smile, the hard mahi, the growth.They don’t always see the battles it took to get there.
This brother has fought demons.He’s fought through pain, hardship, self-doubt and life struggles that could have easily broken him.
But he kept going.
And one of the most powerful things we’ve witnessed during his journey has been watching his growth and his journey in helping to be part of the rebuild and restore around Awataha Marae.
Not because he was just building another structure, but because he began to understand that when you place your hands into a marae, you are placing part of your mauri there too.
Every piece you lay into that whare carries your imprint now. Your sweat, your energy, your presence - your mauri is in those walls now. Forever.
That marae will outlive all of us.
Long after we’re gone, whanau will still walk through those doors. Karanga will still echo through those walls. People will mourn there, heal there, laugh there, come home there.
And without even knowing your full story, they’ll still be standing inside something your hands helped hold together.
Because marae aren’t just buildings.They are living ancestors. Living memory. Living identity.
And now part of your story sits inside that kaupapa forever.
You are carved into that marae now Singh , just like the carvings that line the walls carrying the stories of the tūpuna who came before.
Not carved by chisel… but carved by sacrifice, sweat, service and the mana of your hands.
From this day forward, part of you stands in that whare like a Pou holding it up.
And what humbles us most is watching a man of Indian descent find belonging, connection and purpose within a kaupapa that embraced him like whānau.
That is what real healing looks like. That is what real community looks like.
Recovery is not always found sitting in rooms speaking about pain. Sometimes recovery is found through purpose. Through contribution.
Through being trusted. Through rebuilding not only a whare… but rebuilding yourself at the same time.
We are proud of you Singh .
Proud of your humility.Proud of your strength.
Proud of the way you kept getting back up.
Proud of the man you are becoming.
A heartfelt mihi to Awataha Marae for embracing our tāne, allowing space for restoration, contribution and belonging.
One day somebody will point and say …one of the brothers helped rebuild this marae.
That brother is you.
You didn’t just place wood there …you placed part of your mauri into the heartbeat of that marae.
And that story will keep speaking your name long after the tools are put down. ❤️❤️❤️
