Te Rau Oranga scholarships launch health careers
Published on 15 October, 2026
By Samuel Tan, Te Rau Oranga coordinator, Te Kura Tuarua o Taniwharau - Fraser High School.
Te Rau Oranga continues to offer a by-Maaori-for-Maaori approach to aakonga at Te Kura Tuarua o Taniwharau in both the tuakana and teina spaces.
The goal for our teina spaces is to encourage our aakonga Maaori at Years 9-10 to keep attending their classes and engaging in their learning.
A collective approach is taken at a teina level. This comes in the form of organising in-school kaupapa, while also connecting with spaces outside of our kura as well. For example, attending Koroneihana, Kiiorahi Regionals, offering after-school tutorials, and incentivising and rewarding aakonga with kai.
Studies show that the more aakonga connect into kaupapa outside of a classroom, the more likely they will feel and think that they belong to a kura community. This then has a flow-on effect, whereby they put in more effort in both their attendance and learning due to those stronger bonds.
This year for our tuakana we are delighted to introduce our Te Rau Oranga Scholarship Awardees to you here.
Left to right - Carlos Koroheke, Lykyn Mackie Whanga, Stevie Clarke, Te Puawaitanga Wiki-Rahi and Ererangi Johnson-Joyce.
In addition though not shown, Marley Paekau and Maia Warena also received scholarships.
This year's tuakana are interested in becoming doctors, nurses, counsellors, mid-wives, sonographers and radiologists.
Te Rau Oranga has been able to provide a range of resources for them to help assist in their studies, these include iPads, Chromebooks, study guides and termly perishables like books and pens and highlighters.
Te Rau Oranga has also been able to provide services like one-to-one tutoring and group tutoring after kura to tautoko their studies.
Te Rau Oranga has taken this group of tuakana out on haerenga to Te Koohao Health (pictured above and below) and Braemar Hospital (pictured at top of page) connecting them with industry professionals, hearing their stories and pathways and better understanding where they could potentially ‘fit into’ the picture in the future. We are extremely grateful and excited about the growing hononga between Te Rau Oranga and Te Koohao Health and Braemar Hospital and look forward to building further hononga with other health providers as well.
Te Rau Oranga have also assisted a few Year 13 aakonga in enrolling at Wintec for 2027 so that they can pursue a health pathway in midwifery, nursing or counselling.
Te Rau Oranga programme at Te Kura Tuarua o Taniwharau is supported by Te Rau Oranga Fund at Momentum Waikato, which was established by Ruth Tan (Ngaati Hangarau and Ngaati Mutunga) and Stephen Ng.
You can find out more about Te Rau Oranga Fund, and donate to it too, at momentumwaikato.nz/terauorangafund.
