Dinner at the Reymers’ house
When the Kenyan High Commissioner to Australia Dr Wilson Kogo drove through Te Awamutu in February, he said it would make the perfect sister city to the Kenyan city of Iten.
Both market themselves as the home of champions. Rowing and cycling in Waipā, long distance athletics in Iten.
Kenyan born Waipā dairy farmer Charles Anainga and his wife Ann-Marie agreed with the commissioner and took the idea to Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board in June supported by deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk.
Kogo had visited Stolwyk’s Ōhaupō dairy farm in February to learn about New Zealand dairy farming.
“He was quite impressed with agriculture,” said Charles Anainga, president of the Kenyan community in New Zealand.
“What we really see, and think is that Kenyan culture could be a culture that comes into New Zealand in a way that the Filipino culture has come into New Zealand,” said Anne-Marie who met Charles during her OE in Kenya in the 1990s.
Dinner at the Reymers’ house including beef from the farm with peach cake – fresh peaches off the tree – for dessert. From left Kenyan High Commissioner to Australia Dr Wilson Kogo, Charles Anainga, Andrew Reymer, Liz Stolwyk and Ann Marie Anainga.
She saw opportunities for the rural communities in both Te Awamutu and Iten to connect online and share knowledge.
The pair married and, after a short stint in the UK, came to New Zealand about 25 years ago.
They have been dairy farming for 20 years, most recently at Whitehall, and Charles is a member of the Ōhaupō Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club.
Kenyan High Commissioner to Australia Dr Wilson Kogo visits the milking shed on Andrew Reymer and Liz Stolwyk’s Ōhaupō dairy farm with Charles Anainga.
Community board deputy chair Kane Titchener said the idea needed community backing to ensure it was successful.
“We don’t want to go into something without that support,” he said.
“It’s early days,” said Stolwyk of the proposal.
“The green light needs to come from the community board, but it does present a nice opportunity.”
A community barbecue for interested parties was suggested.
Waipā dairy farmer Charles Anainga, left, with Te Awamutu Federated Farmers chair Andrew Reymer, centre, and Kenyan High Commissioner to Australia Dr Wilson Kogo.
