Hokia ki ō Maunga: The Decision to Return Home After University

Hokia ki ō maunga kia purea e ngā hau o Tāwhirimātea.

Return to your mountains to be cleansed by the winds of Tāwhirimātea.

Intern: Kaia Potaka-Osborne, Te Atihaunui-ā-Pāpārangi

The opportunities after high school are limitless. When rangatahi leave home to pursue further tertiary education, the likelihood of students returning home depends on a few intersecting factors, strong whānau ties and their desire to give back. After three years of studying Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington, Kaia Potaka-Osborne decided to return home to Whanganui, not just to her whānau, but to her iwi, taking on an internship with Te Oranganui, Innovation & Research as a Systems Innovator within the Mokopuna Ora initiative. 

Kaia enjoys the outdoors, hiking and camping, and these have also been the benefits of being home. Kaia started her internship in December, which has since evolved into a full-time position where she is exploring through reflective practice how integrated service delivery is functioning within Te Whare Piringa, specifically, whether whānau are receiving what they need, such as warm handovers and seamless support. Te Whare Piringa is an active prototype, a whānau-centered space designed by the Hapū Māmā Village, to reimagine how support is offered to whānau who are on the hapūtanga journey. It's not a finished product, but rather a process, a collaborative effort to figure out what support looks like when it is grounded in trust, whakawhanaungatanga, and care. 

“Through my evaluation, I feel like it's just keeping the kaimahi informed of what needs to be worked on, like what can we do better and continuously providing reflective processes.”

A highlight for Kaia has been the live learning, which is focused on deepening the understanding of the team to facilitate and adopt the mindsets of social innovation. It has also been an opportunity to be a part of an environment where curiosity is nurtured. It’s a place that encourages questions, exploration, and continuous learning. 

“It's a family here. I love the work, of course. But I think my highlight is meeting everyone and also seeing how everyone works together.”

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for such an inspiring young wahine. As the whakatauki says: “Whaia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei” - Seek the treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.