Ka Hao I Te Ao E-commerce Program
Ka Hao I Te Ao is an indigenous e-commerce program by indigenous, for indigenous delivered by Te Whare Hukahuka. This e-commerce program covers various topics such as How to choose the right product or service that is right for you, marketing your store online, create your website, e-commerce and geometric growth strategy etc. The goal of the program is to develop leadership skills and knowledge in e-commerce and entrepreneurship for our whānau, hapū and iwi.
Our Journey As A Student On Ka Hao I Te Ao
When we decided to create a new website, the process was daunting. We didn’t know where to begin and had no idea what it would take to get our site up and running. We spent many hours researching different companies who could help us create our site, but we kept running into dead ends. It seemed like everyone wanted us to pay thousands of dollars upfront before they even started working on our project!
Receiving our first scholarship in 2021 we were blessed knowing Covid had hit New Zealand and we were forced into this space. Coming from a market environment trying to figure things out, we were thrown into an e-commerce world with no skills behind us.
Ka Hao has given us that breath of life in the e-commerce world. It made us look in the mirror and work on those blockages like "ourselves". Changing the mindset, motivating yourself to think positive, embrace that uncomfortable feeling replacing it with growth. So many blockages we had in the way so that became the focus. Now we have narrowed our focus down to Hauora (health and well being) We worked everyday on one part of our business so we could see the end goal clear.
At the end of the first round i was fortunate to receive 5 figure award. This award was full of amazing prizes to grow our business. I knew i really wanted to return and felt like this was just the beginning
We Applied For a Scholarship For the Next Intake
Embracing Our Authentic Self
The Ka Hao I Te Ao E-commerce program encourages us to be our authentic selves, and to embrace the cultural beliefs that make us who we are on the internet to our customer Avatar. This became a big insecurity for us and our mind set just about forced us to quit. One of the requirements in our first round was to deliver two videos per week. By the third week it became easier and easier and before you knew it, you were talking with confidence. Now we were shown how to speak to our following through the website, emailing, social media on another level. Now we are able to share with everyone on the internet our views as a strong believer in the teaching of our ancestors and culture. It is through these teachings that we are learning to be resilient, confident, honest and humble. We also hold strong values that were instilled in us by our parents, grandparents and elders
- respect for each other as Whānau members
- to be kind-hearted
- love being Māori
- Respect our Whēnua
- loyalty to one another
- courage when faced with challenges or difficulties
- having patience with others even if they may not always agree with how you see things or what you believe in –
- Respect each other for who we are no matter how different. We all share one thing in common which is AROHA
Now we are able to share this through the internet so our message can reach far and wide
Our Journey As A Student On Ka Hao I Te Ao (Do With You) and Pastrol Care
Returning was exciting but lot's of work. We were given access to all these amazing talented people who were willing to share their knowledge to help take our business to another level. I was also fortunate to receive a scholarship through working the hours off as Pastrol Care. I could see the amount of work everyone in Te Whare Hukahuka was putting in to make the journey easy for Whānau. This made me more determined to put the hard work in
Ka Hao I Te Ao E-commerce program require sacrifice and commitment. If your prepared to turn up for your business? For your Whānau? For You? Your WHY should be at the core of your determination. Hard work and sacrifice are two things that pay off in ways you can't even imagine. It is up to you how much you gain out of this program
Ngā Mihi Aroha
He mihi tēnei ki te Whanau O Te Whare Hukahuka mo ōu koutou whakaaro aroha, manaaki, matauranga ki a matou. Thanks to all the Te Whare Hukahuka Whānau for your understanding, love, support and knowledge you gave us
The Ka Hao I Te Ao E-commerce program empowers indigenous entrepreneurs around the world. It’s an excellent program which has helped us to grow our business, and I highly recommend it to all Pākihi Māori to take this opportunity