Kia ora e kare, please introduce yourself, where are you from?
Ko Mauao te maunga. Ko Tauranga te Moana. Ko Mataatua te waka. He uri ahau o Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Tūhoe, Te Rarawa, Rangitāne. Ko Whetumarama Timutimu ahau.
What made you choose Hāpai Te Hauora?
I first found Hāpai on either Seek or Indeed when I was looking for jobs to work over the summer. It was ideal because the Hāpai offices were only 10 minutes away from my whare. Plus I liked that Hāpai was a Māori company. Location and the Te Ao Māori presence of Hāpai Te Hauora were my two biggest reasons for choosing to apply for Hāpai Te Hauora.
Was this your first time being an intern?
No. This was my second time interning. My first time being an intern was last summer at Te Runanga o Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi Trust, my Iwi’s runanga. But it was a different experience than working as an intern at Hāpai.
What was your experience like working in Māori Public Health?
This is my first time working in Māori Public Health. I came into this role not having any health experience from either mahi or study. It was a unique experience coming into the Hauora space as someone with no prior experience.
Is there one thing in particular that you found interesting or enjoyed?
I initially thought of health as just doctors and nurses healing illnesses and sickness. But coming in and working at Hāpai Te Hauora I realised there’s so much more to health, hauora, and public health than I initially understood. There are so many complex issues affecting Māori within public health that I was unaware of. Stuff like alcohol-related harm, smoking, and even gambling. Those weren’t things I had ever personally struggled or had experience with. So learning about the expansive nature of Māori Public health was very interesting for me.
Were there any lessons you learned during your internship at Hāpai Te Hauora?
Yes, I learned a lot from my time here. I learned a lot about communication and community engagement. I didn’t have previous experience in my last internship engaging with community members about hauora. It was very eye-opening to see and understand how different people perceive hauora. Many people had different perspectives of hauora based on where they’re from or what age bracket they’re in, it was very fulfilling getting to listen to different peoples’ kōrero and hear their thoughts on Hauora. I noticed that with pakeke and parents, their concerns were always about their tamariki and pepi. Overall I think the big lesson was just learning about different people within the community, it helped me to develop my communication and listening skills. As well as how to approach and interact with different types of mahi.
Do you have any advice for any new interns?
Just do everything you can. Don’t overwork yourself but also say yes to everything. There is always so much going on and so much to be a part of. Saying yes to everything will take you very far in this mahi. You’ll get to experience so many amazing things and go to so many amazing kaupapa. I know some people don’t enjoy travel but I highly recommend getting out of Auckland and attending every wānanga when you can. It’s where the best experiences and life lessons come from.