Farming helps Harepaora create a better future for his kids

PrimaryITO Media release
16 May 2016

After making some crucial mistakes as a teenager, Harepaora Ngaheu considered joining a gang in his hometown of Te Teko.

But the birth of his first daughter when he was aged 16 motivated him to start making better decisions.

He initially tried his hand at seasonal work before an old friend suggested he try an eight week introductory agricultural course. It wasn’t long before he landed a job with a 50/50 sharemilker and his career in the dairy industry has gone from strength-to-strength ever since.

The 24 year-old was named runner up in the Bay of Plenty (BOP) Dairy Industry Trainee of the Year Awards earlier this year and won most promising trainee. Now he’s one of three finalists in the 2016 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Farmer Awards.

Harepaora says life now is a far cry from what it was in his late teens, living in a rural Bay of Plenty town.

“I’ve continued to study and use my partner, Aiesha, and my two daughters, Revé and Kesiah, as motivation to strive to achieve my goals and not go back to my old life,” he explains. “I want stability for my family while they’re growing up and a better future for us all.”

Harepaora will take on a new journey and challenge this coming season, having just been appointed sole manager to milk 150 cows on a 46ha farm in Ruatoki, south of Whakatane.

He milked his first cow on his 21st birthday and is currently completing his Level 4 Dairy Farming qualification with Primary ITO.

“I don’t want to be a worker all my life so I strive to better myself all the time,” he says. “I love my Primary ITO course. It’s like a big discussion group whenever we all get together. We’re always bouncing ideas off each other and we’re on the same page.”

Harepaora has just finished his second season milking 300 cows with Trevor Pothan in Thornton, who has supported his entry into the fifth annual Ahuwhenua Awards.

“Coming runner up in the BOP Dairy Industry Awards really got my name out there too,” Harepaora says. “That’s my main aim of entering these things – to open up more opportunities as I progress through my career.”

Harepaora already has his sights firmly set on future career goals, one of which is to manage a recently converted dairy farm in Kawerau owned by the Putauaki Trust which his family is associated with.

“I want to go back home and run that farm so I can employ other young Maori in my community so they can get off the streets and do something with their lives,” he says.

“I’d also love to one day be a consultant across all the Trust’s farms around Te Teko. Then we can all move forward together.”

For the time being, Harepaora has his new job to concentrate on next month and the Ahuwhenua Award’s night ceremony on May 20 to look forward to.

 “I feel my success is due to having great support at home, supportive employers and tutors. Now I have to put into action everything that I’ve learnt over the past few years. It’s going to be a busy month!”

For more information, please contact:

Anna Cox, Primary ITO Communications Adviser on anna.cox@primaryito.ac.nz or call (04) 382 2853, or mobile 027 436 6469.

About Primary ITO

Primary ITO provides NZQA endorsed qualifications and training to people employed in the agriculture, horticulture, equine, seafood, sports turf and food processing industries.

The ITO provides leadership in education and training, develops national qualifications, maintains national standards and provides ongoing support for their trainees and employers.

Primary ITO training is subsidised by industry and Government.

For more information on Primary ITO please go to www.primaryito.ac.nz or call 0800 20 80 20.