Ko Rongomaiwahine rāua ko Ngāti Kahungunu ōku iwi

Ko Ngai Tū te hapu

Ko Kurahaupō te waka

Ko Whangawehi te awa

Ko Maungakāhia te maunga

Ko Tuahuru te marae

Ko Anahera Pohe ahau

Anahera Pohe wants to strengthen Māori voices across Aotearoa.

Anahera moved from Wellington to Dunedin for university study, where she will soon start her third year toward gaining a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Māori studies at the University of Otago.

Along with 15 other interns, Anahera was part of the latest cohort to gain valuable work experience through the annual three-month Te Puni Kōkiri Summer Internship Programme. She worked in the Communications, Engagements, and Events team within the Organisational Support Puni at our National Office in Wellington during the Summer of 2022.

Anahera said she was passionate about doing an internship at Te Puni Kōkiri because it meant “being in a workplace where you are surrounded by like-minded kaimahi and Māori from across Aotearoa”.

Te Puni Kōkiri has run its Summer Internship Programme annually since 2015. It enables interns to get work experience relevant to their studies along with a firm grounding in kaupapa Māori at our national or regional offices.

The internships support our strategic priorities of continuing to grow a skilled Māori workforce and improving equitable and effective public sector performance for Māori.

"The best part of the internship was getting to see the practical side of what communication studies actually looks like and getting to explore which areas I fit best with," Anahera said.

"I’ve been very lucky in getting to be involved in a wide range of communication projects. From going to events TPK has been involved with organising and supporting, writing stories for both internal and external sources, social media mahi, audits and more."

She is hoping to go on a university exchange to another country with an indigenous language to learn more about the language and culture revitalisation process from a different perspective. Once she has finished her study, Anahera wants to build a career in Māori communications and is particularly interested in environmental issues.

When asked if there was a particular whakataukī that resonated with her, she chose:

Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro,
nōnā te ngāhere.
Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga,
nōnā te ao.

The bird that consumes the Miro berry owns the forest. The bird that consumes knowledge, owns the world.

“Ka maumahara au i tēnei whakataukī mai i te wā he tamaiti ake ahau. I aua wā, kāore au e mārama ana ki te tikanga tūturu,” Anahera said.

“I chose this whakataukī as it’s one I have heard a lot since I was a child but never really stopped to understand the true meaning.”

“Engari, ko ēnei momo mea, pērā ki te mahi hei pia mō Te Puni Kōkiri, ka taea ai ahau ki te whakapakari i tōku māramatanga o te whakataukī nei, ā, ko te mana o te mātauranga.”

“Now, having had this experience at Te Puni Kōkiri, it has taught me the power that knowledge holds and opportunities it can open for you.”

Her advice for future interns was to embrace every opportunity during your time at Te Puni Kōkiri.

“Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and seek out opportunities as everyone here want to see you succeed and get the most out of the internship programme.”

 

We welcome interns from all backgrounds who have diverse perspectives, innovative ideas and a passion for improving outcomes for Māori to enable thriving whānau. Contact info@tpk.govt.nz for further details.