The women who belong to the Cook Island Mamas group, are not only mothers and grandmothers to their own families but also to the wider Pacific community.
The Mamas belong to a branch of the Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ} called Vainetini New Zealand, meaning a gathering of women.
This Mother’s Day, the Mamas want to spread a message of love and celebration to all mothers and are giving advice that helped them as they were raising their families.
‘When I was younger, my mum use to teach us lots of things, like doing tivaevae. When I got married, I knew how to look after my own children,” says Mama Ikiariki. “I do it for L.O.V.E. For love.”
For Mama Taitua, the main lessons she taught her children were to align their values with God and in particular, the proverb “Cleanliness is close to Godliness” resonates with her words of wisdom.
“I love my children so much. I taught them mainly to be spiritual, not to go astray from the gospel. I taught them what to do around the home. To be clean in the home and to live a clean life.”
The Cook Island Mamas are known for their work in the community and for Mama Tumu Makara, this aspect of the group is very important.
“To be a good mother in the wider community is to set an example. That’s the joy as a mum, as a grandmother.”
#pmafamily
Date: Friday 07 May 2021