Ko te pae tawhiti ? E hoa, he ako, he mātauranga, he wānanga, he ako
Ka nui te pirangitia o Sara Cunningham kia tū ia hai whetū kōmata mō āna tamariki, e whakatauira ana e ia mā te ūpoko pakaru e hua ai te wai kōrari. He ahakoa e toru tekau mā toru ōna tau he mātanga tēnei toki. Kua takahia e ia te ara tātaramoa, kua mārō tona tiko. Nō tana wehenga i te kura ka torotika atu ia hai poumahi mā Silver Ferns Farm.
Mō ngā tau kotahi tekau mā rua a ia e mahi nei, ko tana mahi he patu me te whakarite i te mīti tia.
I te tau e rua mano kotahi tekau mā waru ka tīmatangia tana mahi i Pathlab Rotorua, ka noho ia ki tana whakamātautau i te tau e rua mano e rua tekau mā tahi, ināianei he mātanga taiwhanga pūtaiao hauora ( pre-analytical medical laboratory technician) a Sara.
"He whakamātautau takitahi nāku e mahi ana i roto i te taiwhanga pūtaiao, nā wai rā ka tukuna mai ki ahau e ngā mātanga ētehi pepa aromatawai, ka āta tuku mai ki a pau te wāhanga o te tau, ka oti ana te tau me tētehi whakamātautau e rua wāhanga te nui ka ea ai ngā taumahatanga.
Ko te tikanga ia ka whakamātauria ahau i te tau e rua mano, e rua tekau engari nā te māuiui korona me te rahi o ngā rākau mātai-māuiui i puta mai me te rahi noa atu o ngā taumahatanga o te mahi, he iti noa te wā nāku ki te ako. Ka whakamātauria ahau i te tau e rua mano, e rua tekau mā tahi.
"I mua nō mai i taku eketanga ki te taumata mātanga nei, kua ako kē ahau ki ētehi atu wāhanga o te taiwhanga pūtaiao, he ako ki ngā wāhanga tīpona waitinana (lymph node) ka whakawhiwhia e ahau ki taku tiwhikete rangatira IATA, e taea ai e ahau te tuku i ngā tauira māuiui ki ngā wāhi tika. Nā Pathlab ahau i akiaki ki tēnei huarahi o te mātauranga nā rātou hoki te nama".
Ko Sara Louise Elizabeth Cunningham, (ko Kiel tōna ingoa whānau) ko Hera hoki ki ētehi te roanga o tōku ingoa. I whānau mai i pakeke mai ahau i Rotorua i te rori o Whittaker ki te hāpori whakahirahira o Te Koutu. Kai reira tonu te papakāinga o te whānau Kiel e tū ana. Nā ōku mātua, ōku kaumātua me taku whānau, he kotahi tekau mā tahi katoa rātou, tuakana mai, taina mai ahau i whakatupu".
Nō Ngāti Kahungunu me Ngāti Porou te kāwai whakapapa o tōna matua tāne. He Ngāti Manawa he Ngai Te Arawa tōna māmā.
Ko Whakataki Cunningham tōna hoa rangatira. Nō Te Rotoiti ia, he Ngāti Pikiao tōna whakapapa. Kua kotahi tekau mā wha ngā tau rāua e piri tahi ana. Tokotoru ā rāua tamariki.
Ko Luke, he kotahi tekau mā toru, ko Tyson he kotahi ngahuru, ā, ko Wynter he rima ōna tau. Ka whānau mai tā rāua kurahuna a te Pīpiri o tēnei tau. Nōna e itiiiti ai ka nui tana whakamīharo ki te mātauranga koiora (biology).
"Ko taku moemoeā-a-mahi tuatahi kia tu ahau hai manuao manaaki kararehe, he tino kaha ahau ki te poka i ngā tini āhuatanga katoa ka tikina ka whakanōhia ki taku karu whakatata ka āta tirihia, ka āta wetewetehia, he tamaiti pakiki ahau ki ngā ataahuatanga o te ao".
"Ko te huarahi e haerengia ana e ahau he mea whakahauhau i āku tamariki he hiahia nōku ki te whakaatuhia te kaha o te tangata e aro māia ana ki tāna e matapopore ai". " Kāore e taka rawa mai ki ahau te whakaaro ki te ruma taiwhanga pūtaiao ahau e mahi ana, me te huhua o ngā kura ka hua mai ki ahau ia rā, ia rā, kai te ako ahau ki tētehi mātauranga hou".
"He rerekē katoa ngā rangi, me te pai hoki e whakaohooho ai taku wairua kia tūwhera ai ia ki te wehi o te rā".
A proud mother and son moment at Sara's former occupation. Photo / Supplied
He kaupapa nui te māuiui korona nōna e ako ana. Ka tū āna karaehe ako nā te mea kua pōkea rawatia te taiwhanga pūtaiao e te māuiui nei, ka eke anō te taumahatanga o te mahi ki tētehi taumata momona rawa atu.
Ka nui hoki tana whakamihi ki ngā hoa mahi me tana whānau nāna ia i poipoi nāna hoki ia i tauwhiro. " Ka nui taku whakapono nā Pathlab tētehi huarahi whakamīharo ki ahau, ko tāku kau he nanao atu engari me tuku hoki e ahau te katoa o taku tinana, hinengaro mai me taku wairua".
"Āe, e tika ana, nāku hoki te oneone i hurihuri ai mai i te rā tuatahi engari ka nui hoki tā rātou whakamihi ki te toanga o taku wairua ki te ikeike o āku mahi me taku whakawhanake i taku puna mōhiohio, nā reira e kaha tonu ai taku wairua.
"He tino toki taku hoa tāne, koia te tāhūhū o taku whare, mō te tautoko, mō te akiaki me tōna aroha mutunga kore ki ahau – hai aha i a ia, kia kāua ahau e mate wheke". Ko te pae tawhiti ? E hoa, he ako, he mātauranga, he wānanga, he ako.
"Kai te tino mōhio ahau, ka ao te rā, ka hua mai he mātauranga hou, he ara mutunga kore ko taku hiahia ki te whakapakari i taku ara ki a koke whakamua ai ahau i tēnei ao hurihuri. Ko tāku ki āku tamariki; he ara mutunga kore te ako, he ahakoa te momo o te mahi.
"He toa takitahi katoa tātou hai aha noa atu te momo o te tapeha me te ahurea, kai tō ihi, kai tō kaha kai tō hinengaro e puta ai koe ki te tāwhangawhanga nui o Tamauawhiti – mātika mai, maranga he Māori koe".
Kai te whakahonohono a Sara ki tona tangaengae ki tōna māunga whakahirahira ki a Horohoro te pā taunaha o tōna koroua."
Nōku e kura tuatahi ana he reo Māori anake te reo nā reira i mārama ai ahau ki tōku ao taketake, e hoki ana ngā maumaharatanga me taku kūare hoki kāore au i tino kite ai i ngā hua me te kaha o tōku reo hai hoa haere ngātahi māku e pakeketia ana.
E pēnei ana te rahi o taku whānau he whakarauora i te reo me ngā tikanga ko te painga kua tokomaha mātou tēnā i te kotahi anake, me te pai he kōrero Māori taku hoa rangatira ki te kāinga pūehu pai ana, ki te tāone ki te marae, ka whakamā ka noho puku ahau kia kāua māua e taka ki te hē.
He māmā noa te ako i te reo mā ngā kame o te ao hou nei. Kai te ako whakapapa hoki ahau.
Engari ko taku aroha ki te reo me he māunga me te hiahia o te ngākau kia maringi kau te reo i ngā māngai o te whānau mō ake tonu atu. — Na Raimona Inia tenei purongo i whakamaoritia
Sara Cunningham wants to be an example for her tamariki, showing them dreams are achievable with hard work and determination.
And Sara, 33, knows exactly what she is talking about.
Upon leaving school Sara joined the staff of Silver Fern Farms where she spent 12 years slaughtering and dressing venison.
In 2018 she started working with Pathlab Rotorua, sat her exams in 2021 and is now a qualified pre-analytical medical laboratory technician.
"I had been doing practical one-on-one training in the lab since I started and given assessments throughout the year ending with a two-part final exam.
"I was to sit my exam in 2020 originally but due to covid and the rush of swabs and everything else coming in I had minimal time for study. I sat my exam in 2021.
"Before becoming qualified I had already trained in other processes in the lab such as fresh lymph node specimens and got my certificate with distinction in IATA shipping of infectious substances. Pathlab had put me through all my training at no cost to myself."
Sara Louise Elizabeth Cunningham, (born Kiel), who is also known as Hera, was born and raised in Rotorua, down Whittaker Road, Koutu, at the Kiel whānau homestead.
"I was raised by my parents, grandparents and all 11 of my dad's brothers and sisters."
On her dad's side Sara connects to Ngati Kahungunu and Ngati Porou and on her mum's Ngati Manawa and Te Arawa.
Sara Cunningham at work at Pathlab Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
She is happily married to Whakataki Cunningham who is born and bred Rotoiti (Ngati Pikiao) for 14 years solid with children Luke 13, Tyson 10 and Wynter 5. Their fourth child is due in June.
While growing up, Sara had always been interested in and amazed by all things biology.
"I originally aspired to be a veterinarian when I was younger, I was always dissecting things and looking at anything and everything under my Warehouse microscope and slides. I was just intrigued by how things worked and what made them do what they do.
"This pathway I am in now was more of a drive to set an example for not only myself but for my kids, I wanted to show them that their mum was driven and hardworking.
"I never thought I would end up in the lab working with all sorts. Every day is different and I'm literally learning new things daily.
"No two days are the same and I love that I can be a part of something very diverse."
Covid was a huge deal while Sara was studying. It put a hold on all her study as the lab was working around the clock trying to deal with the pandemic and the extra workload it created. Sara appreciates the help and support she has received from Pathlab and her family.
"We are individuals and it doesn't matter whatever your ethnicity.
"Your character, your strengths and mindset is what will get you to where you want to go.
"Be proud to be Maori."
Sara is reconnecting with her Koro's pa at Horohoro with members of her whanau. "From when I started primary school I was put into bilingual where I started my te reo journey and my te ao Māori journey.
"Back then I never knew how much it would mean to me as an adult. A lot of my whānau are trying to reconnect and to learn our reo better and it has been good because we are able to learn it together.
"My husband and I enjoy talking te reo Maori at home but have always felt a little whakamā at times in public or at the marae in case we don't make sense.
"I find it easy today to be able to learn te reo through apps available, resources are much easier to access nowadays.
"I am still learning to whakapapa right back on both my nanny and koro sides. I love our reo and I hope that I can continue to keep it going in my little whanau."
