surprises organisers
Those behind a month-long challenge to speak as much Te Reo Māori as possible say they're staggered by how popular it's become.
Today is the first day of Mahuru Māori, a month-long celebration of the language that thousands have signed up to participate in.
But its beginnings were humble. In 2014, Paraone Gloyne, a Pou Tikanga at Te Wananaga o Aotearoa, made a pledge to himself: he would speak only Te Reo Māori for a month.
"I looked at some of the other months, you know, you've got Dry July, No Junk June or whatever they are and then you've got Movember, and I thought: I'm gonna do one for Te Reo."
Since then, Mahuru Māori has grown into something of a movement.
"There were three of us that first year," Gloyne said. "And then the next year we got 500 people, then the next year it was a thousand, and it's just grown from there."
This week, the Mahuru Māori website has been struggling with demand, and some of the country's largest companies have come on board.
Link to article: Popularity of Te Reo Māori challenge surprises organisers | RNZ News
