Kia ora e te whānau. Today is a very special day, we celebrate NUKU //100! 

Through this series we have met and interviewed wāhine right across the motu - the matauranga holders, the frontliners, the carers, the whale whisperers, the teachers, the researchers, the ahi kaa, the boundary pushers, the leaders, the workers, the innovators, the motivators, wāhine who are empowering across generations by being unapologetically themselves.  

NUKU //100 holds a special place in my heart. It is my honour to introduce you to my māmā, this 100th wāhine is a reminder to us all that we will come across so many inspiring wāhine on our journey, from all over the world in all walks of life, but we must never forget those who make us who we are - our mothers, our grandmothers, our aunties, our sisters, our daughters.

Meet Karen Matata (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Arorangi (Rarotonga), Temakatea, Oneroa (Mangaia)

Karen has been an early childhood educator for more than 40 years. She has worked for her marae, Makaurau, as secretary for more than 25 years, and holds governance positions across education and community groups in Tāmaki Makaurau.

In this episode we talk about her Māori girls boarding school experience, she shares her perspective on single motherhood and sharing her eldest daughter with her parents to raise, we discuss the power of education and talk about the reality of working for your people.