Petula teaurima, A LOVE FOR HER COMMUNITY

Petula Teaurima 

Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Apakura, Ngāpuhi  

Pūkenga, Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau (Bachelor of Social Work), Te Wānanga o Raukawa 

Registered Social Worker 

 A master’s degree was always on Petula Teaurima’ bucket list and studying at Te Wānanga o Raukawa for the Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau (Bachelor of Social Work) inspired her to continue her learning journey towards that. Petula has a Heke Toiora Whānau (Diploma in Social Work), Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau (Bachelor of Social Work), a Post Graduate Diploma in Kaitiakitanga-Bicultural Supervision, a Master in Applied Indigenous Knowledge, a National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education, an Advanced Certificate in Adult Teaching, and a Certificate in Bicultural Social Services. She has also completed the Poupou Huia te Reo 1 and 2 (Certificate in Māori Protocol and Language for Use in the Home, and Certificate in Tikanga and Māori Language for the Home and Community) and is aiming to complete a PhD. 

Graduating in 2018 with the Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau Petula has been employed as a pūkenga for the Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau programme teaching at the Manukau and Ōtaki sites and via Mūrau (Moodle) since mid-year 2023. Prior to that Petula was contracted in 2022 and the first semester of 2023 to teach on the programme. 

With extensive experience working in the social services sector, Petula has worked for the Department of Social Welfare and Inland Revenue but found her passion working with disengaged rangatahi in the alternative education arena. She worked at the Creative Learning Scheme and was part of a pilot that started the Youth Training Programme with Emma Afeaki, which became the Youth Guarantee programme of today. Petula moved to Future Skills Academy, a tertiary education provider and then onto Strive Community Trust. Strive is based in Mangere and provides services that collectively address the social, economic, educational and cultural needs of all people that reside in their community. Petula was happy to be with a Māori organisation where she could give back to her community. From there she went into homebased early childhood and became an owner in running a service for educating those who have English as a second language to encourage English speaking. From there she moved to Genesis Youth Trust looking after youth offenders to reduce reoffending. She worked with Te Rōpū Taurima an intellectual disability and mental health service provider where she helped set up, lead and manage an area called Choice in Community Living. Then she moved to Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children. There she made sure she knew how the organisation worked and how she could do the best for whānau. Then Petula finally came to Te Wananga o Raukawa. 

Petula encourages her students to look to Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) for their placements. She sees this as an opportunity for them to learn how to navigate that space. As a student of the Toiora Whānau programme, Petula was encouraged to work for Oranga Tamariki by their tutor, Mere Nathan. Her thinking being, “to understand the system, you need to work there so that you will understand how it works and be more able to assist whānau”. 

Petula’s husband is from Mangaia in the Cook Islands, and they have two daughters and a son. They also have three mokopuna. Their son and his whānau live in Auckland and the daughters live in Perth, Australia. One daughter is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington majoring in commercial law and management, and the other has a ECE degree from Te Rito Maioha and their son has a degree in life. She has a sister and two brothers. One of the brothers has medical conditions and Petula and her husband live with him in his home so that they can support him. Petula’s parents have passed now, but she believes that what she is doing is from her mother who served the community of Manurewa for 50 plus years, “All the things that I am is because of my mum and her love for the people”. 

“Mā te ngākau aroha koe e ārahi.” (Let a loving heart lead you) 

Applications are now open for anyone inspired to work with whānau Māori, become a Toiora Whānau practitioner visit Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau - Bachelor of Social Work (wananga.com) to learn more.