Hi,my name is Mariana Cheri Taitoko.

Im fundraising for myself and my birth family so I can finally meet them,save my Nana's home, be there for my father's 70th birthday and organise a Tanoa family reunion and place a special item a didgeridoo that I got as a gift from a friend that I've coloured in, so that I can put it on my Nana Maraeas grave. My Nana died on the 30/05/2025 this also being my adopted dads birthday. I didn't have the money to go to her funeral as im on a disability pension and it's hard to make ends meet. All my life I've felt as if I didn't belong I've had bad things happen childhood traumas. But my family stood by me all my life and now I've found my birth family I just have a yearning to go and meet them and align myself with my iwi my ancestors and unearth my spiritual gifts that I inherited from my bloodline. My family come from a long line of wise people, healers and spiritual leaders. My father Anaru Ratapu is a minister for the ratana church. I have 8 brothers 3 sisters aswell as my adopted sister Kama and my adopted brother Tamaiti.

I've known about my family now for 4 months and I still haven't had the money to go see my family it's really down heartening but thanks to video calls we have been connecting but I long for the time I get to give them a big hug to touch them so that I know their real. Anita and I came up with a great idea. To record our journey and share it with the world. Our voice messages to each other are hilarious and sometimes sad but listening to us getting to know one another is so cool. So anyone out there in this world that would love to help me reunite with my family in New Zealand your good deeds wouldn't go unnoticed. I'd be forever grateful for your donations. Thankyou for reading my page ...love Maz