Ko Kawiti Waetford (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine) tētahi rangatahi e kaha ana ki te waiata i te whakaari pūoru.

I ngā marama kua taha ake i ngā atamira o te ao ia e whakangahau ana, e whakamīharo ana hoki i te tini tāngata i a ia e wānanga ana i a Shakespeare.

I whakawhiwhia ki a ia tētahi tūranga mō te Kamupene Rangatahi a Shakespeare 2009.

Nā te Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) tēnei kaupapa i whakarite ki te poipoi i ngā rangatahi e hiahia ana ki te ako i ngā akoranga me ngā hītori a Shakespeare.

I whiriwhiria e SGCNZ he rua tekau mā whā anake ngā rangatahi o ngā kura tuarua o Aotearoa. Katahi ka haere te kamupene taiohi nei ki Ingarangi ki te whakaako, te wānanga me te whakangahau i te marea ki te atamira rongonui o Globe Theatre i Rānana.

Hei tā Kawiti he akoranga nui tēnei haerenga mōna, he nui ngā huarahi ka whāia e eke atu ai ia ki ngā taumata tītike o te waiata i te whakaari pūoru.

“Ka nui taku aroha me te mihi o te ngākau ki te āwhina a Te Puni Kōkiri. Nāna nei i āhei ai ahau ki te whai i tēnei moemoeā ki te ao,” hei tāna.

I te 14 o Mahuru 2009 ka tau a Kawiti me tana whānau ki te tari matua o Te Puni Kōkiri i Te Whanganui ā Tara ki te whakahoki i te aroha me te tautoko a te tari nei i tana haerenga ako nui ki te ao.

Hei tā te Manahautū o Te Puni Kōkiri a Leith Comer, he nui nga pūmanawa o tēnei tamatāne. He nui hoki ana mihi ki a ia me tōna whānau.

“E tika ana ko ia tētahi o ō tātou rangatira mō āpōpō. He manutīoriori e whai nei i ngā kaiwaiata Māori kua eke panuku i te whakaari pūoru i runga i ngā atamira o te ao.”