Teen mums hope for bright futures

Wairarapa Teen Parent Unit celebration of success. Hayley Cashmore and Nikora Crawford, midwife Lu Reid, Prue Smith Wairarapa Tean Parent Manager and Sarah Kernahan and George McManaway.

Two young women from Wairarapa Teen Parent Unit are paving bright futures for their children after winning awards for courage and compassion at the unit's end-of-year break-up on Wednesday.

Kyleigh Cork and Caitlin-Amy Woolford, who knew each other from Masterton Intermediate School, said the supportive environment provided by TPU has allowed them to push their comfort zones towards success. They both received a Kia Manawanui award for courage and compassion.

Miss Woolford, who was an "outstanding" student of digital technology according to her teachers, has enrolled into a fulltime beauty services course at UCOL. She hopes to get a job in the beauty industry and come off the benefit.

Miss Woolford said she has great appreciation for the supportive environment and people at TPU.

"It's quite good knowing that people here kind of know what you're going through and everything," she said.

"Whereas when you're out in the community and you're walking with a young child, you're getting judged pretty much, for being so young and having children. But coming here, it's like everyone knows what everyone's going through."

The second student who received the Kia Manawanui award, Miss Cork, joined TPU two years ago, which she said was "out of [her] comfort zone" and "completely not me".

In her time at TPU, she embarked on the three-week Outward Bound Course, which pushed her physical and emotional boundaries in a three-week long adventure course in the South Island.

Since then she has secured a permanent 45-hour a week contract with Pukaha Mount Bruce.

"My dream from here is just to work, completely come off the benefit, and just do my son proud," Miss Cork said.

"And do everyone that has helped me proud. Just put your foot in the door, that's all you've got to do."