Stories from Te Tairāwhiti: united for digital equity

Welcome to part three of our blog series, highlighting the mahi of Tāiki E! Impact House and the Te Tairāwhiti Digital Equity Collective, supported by InternetNZ’s community funding.

These are the stories of digital equity shaped on the whenua of Te Tairāwhiti, the East Cape of the North Island — home to Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, and Ngāi Tāmanuhiri in Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa Gisborne, carried north by the Waiapu of Ngāti Porou, and along the rugged coastline of Te Whānau-a-Apanui. 

The faces of change

If 'Part two: flipping the script' was about the courage of standing up to say, “Here’s my idea,” then 'Part three: United for digital equity' is about what happens next — the people who step in beside you, who say “let’s make it real.”

In the heart of Te Tairāwhiti, those people are the leaders of a remarkable group of organisations now working shoulder to shoulder as the Te Tairāwhiti Digital Equity Collective.

This is no fixed club with tidy borders. It’s a living, breathing whānau of groups that come together when the time is right and capacity allows. They are: Tāiki E!, Tōnui Collab, Te Weu Research, Tairāwhiti Technology Trust, Tolaga Bay Innovation, and Rāngai — with close links to Te Aroha Kanarahi Trust and the Wairoa Business Hub. Among them, you’ll find educators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and community leaders. Each contributes something unique, but what unites them is shared values and a common goal: to build digital confidence, capacity, and resilience across the Coast.

“This kaupapa came from a bunch of us just saying: Actually, this is a time for action. Not another hui. We need to get into the doing of things. And especially, we wanted to look at how we could use this really powerful tool — technology — to awhi and support our communities.” — Cain Kerehoma of Tāiki E!

Collaboration with heart

The Collective’s mahi is based on the belief that the best solutions come from within. By sharing their strengths and working together, they can achieve what no single organisation could alone. Their collaborations cover everything from infrastructure and innovation to skills development and storytelling. With modest yet strategic investment from us, they have been able to expand their vision, test new ideas, and establish a framework for systemic change. 

“What began as a bold response to digital exclusion has become a broader ecosystem effort … making visible both the promise and precarity of building from the ground up” — Insights report 2: Reflections from the Tairāwhiti Digital Equity Project

Impact in action

Their work is already having an impact. 

Te Tairāwhiti Technology Trust (TaiTech), together with the Collective partners, has been organising practical Alexa workshops for kaumātua. Sixty-seven elders from remote communities now feel more confident in connecting with whānau and are safer in their homes. 

New digital learning hubs have emerged in Tolaga Bay, Wharekahika, and Wairoa. These hubs, led by Tolaga Bay Innovation and supported by Te Aroha Kanarahi Trust, the production company Rāngai, have become trusted spaces where tamariki, pakeke, and rangatahi can develop skills in ways that suit them. 

Rāngai is also collaborating with rangatahi to create a 30-minute documentary that showcases the region’s digital equity journey in their own voices. 

Te Weu, a collective of local researchers and actionists focused on climate, data, and technology futures, has started mapping the region’s tech ecosystem. They are developing a kaupapa Māori-aligned framework and a live dashboard to inform future investment. 

And Tōnui Collab, a kaupapa Māori STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics,  Mātauranga Māori) education partner creating reo rua learning opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi, is preparing a regional STEM Festival. This will be a celebration where tamariki won’t just be told about the future of science and tech, they’ll touch it, build it, and see how it connects to mātauranga Māori.

This work doesn’t exist on spreadsheets. It lives in marae and community halls, in laughter and questions, in the bravery of people trying something new. 

Tuakana-teina support

Alongside these projects, the Collective has wrapped mentoring around the Innovation Funding recipients introduced in 'Part two — Stories from Te Tairawhiti: flipping the script'. In the spirit of tuakana-teina, the Māori model of older or more experienced guides supporting those with less experience, leaders like Zane, Lily, and Polly have walked beside new applicants, offering encouragement and guidance. That support has proved reciprocal too: fresh perspectives lighting sparks for tuakana as much as teina.

Lasting impact

The Te Tairāwhiti Digital Equity Collective is demonstrating to Aotearoa what’s achievable when collaboration is driven from the grassroots. They’re bridging a gap and creating something stronger, more resilient, and more dignified. 

“It’s not about perfection. It’s about dignity, about connection, and about confidence.” — Polly, JP and Te Tairāwhiti Technology Trust

By combining their strengths and sharing their expertise, the Collective demonstrates once more that local voices can inspire meaningful, lasting change.

Next up — part 4: bringing STEMM to life

In our next blog, we visit Tōnui Collab, where mātauranga Māori meets modern STEM. Discover how their kaupapa is inspiring the next generation with plans to launch STEMM Fest Tairāwhiti 2026.

InternetNZ funding

This partnership is supported by funding from our community grants programme, which exists thanks to the people and businesses who choose a .nz domain name. Each .nz helps us give back to communities, enabling projects like this one that promote digital equity, innovation, and opportunity across Aotearoa New Zealand.