The new season of the popular television show Marae DIY, which has Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as broadcast sponsor, goes to air this weekend and features the club responsible for one of the country’s most iconic songs.

The first episode of the new series features the Patea Māori Club in South Taranaki, famous for the song Poi E. 

The show screens on TV3 at 10.30am Saturday and Senior Specialist Marketing Kahurangi Maxwell says it is an excellent way for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to connect at a grass-roots level and in a meaningful way.

“Seeing our toi whānau leading and creating projects that support the marae is perhaps our most significant contribution,” she says.

Kaiārahi Toi Rauangi Kim Marsh – one of the volunteers - says kaimahi have often worked to bring an extra dimension to the makeovers by engaging with marae to include some toi in the project.
“We both refurbished an existing component of the building and added extra art work to enhance the new structure,” Kim says.

Alongside Kim, the Te Wānanga o Aotearoa team included tauira Robin Hepi and Kaea Graham, who are both studying towards Maunga Kura Toi in Hastings, kaiako Wi Taepa and Sian Montgomery-Neutze from Porirua and programme developer/resource developer Emma West.  

 Tumukahuroa Hone Paul says the sponsorship of Marae DIY is an effective way for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to enhance its relationship with Māori communities and for kaimahi to be able to contribute to inspirational projects on their marae.

Other episodes in this year's series, which are on TV3 on Saturdays at 10.30am: 

Awatere Marae, Te Araroa, 7 October

Kokohuia Marae, Omapere, 14 October

Penu (Rongo-i-te-kai) Marae, Ruatoria, 21 October

Whakaahurangi Marae, Stratford, 28 October

Tuapiro Marae, Katikati, 4 November

Paerauta Marae, Te Araroa, 11 November