by Heeni Collins

Hamish Crooks has a strong calling from God to help disadvantaged Maori and Pacific Islanders to raise their sights across the digital divide.

"Information technology has a huge impact on society," he says. "Unless you're getting it down to the flax-roots our people are always going to be lagging behind."

Hamish had completed a Masters in Business Administration at a Christian university in the United States, with a sense of mission towards economic development in impoverished communities. He also has three year's experience as a regional manager for the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, involving restructuring, community liaison and programme development. After leaving the Ministry, he decided to establish a skills-based programme himself. After researching various options, he formed a trust called Matagi E Fa (the four winds) and entered a partnership with American-based multi-national computer company, Cisco.

"Through their non-profit track, they provide us with a lot of support systems, and Internet-based training." The trust first entered a joint venture with Te Runanga o Te Whanau a Apanui on the East Coast to form Cyberwaka Enterprises, and they established courses at Te Kaha, Ruatoria and Gisborne. Another joint venture was set up with retired Ngati Toa millionaire Callum Katene in Porirua.

Then last October, Prime Minister Helen Clark, spoke at the launch of the trust's first programme in South Auckland - at a secondary school called Tangaroa College in Otara. Every Wednesday from 2-5pm, Hamish and other volunteers provide tuition for about seventeen students. Two more classes are planned.

After completing the 280-hour course, the students will be Cisco Certified Network Associates, a qualification in computer systems engineering with which they should readily find work in either Aotearoa New Zealand or overseas. The long-term vision is to set up some Maori and Pacific small companies.

"In terms of voyaging technologies, the Polynesian waka was way ahead of its time," Hamish says. "It's time we started to reclaim our ability to start designing more technology for the future."

To encourage adults as well as young people to adopt the new technology, Hamish plans to set up community technology centres in Otara and Mangere. He is also contributing to a 'Flaxroots Technology Conference' run by the Ministry of Social Development and the Internal Affairs Department.

And if that's not enough, Hamish is also a member of the team reviewing the future of the pilot Pacific Island Synod which expects to present its findings to the Genral Assembly later this year.