Exceptional Māori health scholars honoured

Associate health minister Tariana Turia presented four awards in two categories which honour the legacy of trailblazing leadership in Māori health.

Every year, a select group of applicants to the Ministry of Health’s Hauora Māori scholarship programme are awarded a John McLeod Scholarship or a Te Apa Māreikura Award.

Ibrahim Walter Soloman and Caroline Blucher are the recipients of John McLeod Scholarships while Michelle Turrall and Paula Moyle are Te Apa Māreikura award recipients.

Minister Tariana Turia says the recipients are all educators, mentors, and coaches who are strongly connected in te ao Māori and their communities.

She says they are multi-talented leaders already and their leadership is destined to be far reaching.

The four awards are each worth 10 thousand dollars.

Details of the John McLeod Scholarship winners

Ibrahim Solomon (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tūhoe) who was the highest-scoring candidate in the medicine category, is in his third year of a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree at the University of Auckland.

Ibrahim’s ultimate goal is to advance Māori health status.

He intends to graduate as a general practitioner able to perform as an outstanding clinician for Māori who attend his clinic.

A focus for Ibrahim is improving accessibility and informed communication between clinicians and all patients, particularly Māori.

Caroline Blucher (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kuri) was the highest scoring candidate in the Pharmacy category.

She will complete her Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2011 at Auckland University.

Caroline has been awarded Hauora Māori scholarships in each year of her study; and in 2008 she was an Auckland University Top Scholar and earned the Hiwinui Heke Scholarship - Pharmacy from Auckland University.

Caroline’s ultimate goal is to be involved in Māori health at a level higher than pharmacy, but for now her goal as an intern in 2012 is to gain a placement in Northland, close to whānau and her communities where she believes she can make a real difference.

Details of the Te Apa Māreikura Scholarship winners

This year’s Te Apa Māreikura Awards went to Paula Moyle (Ngāti Porou) who is studying at Massey University and Michelle Turrall (Ngāi Tahu) who is studying at the University of Otago.

Michelle Turrall was the highest scoring candidate for the 2011 Hauora Māori Scholarships.

Michelle has held a number of Māori specific roles in mainstream services and co-developed and managed health services for Māori.

She has represented on a number of committees including various roles with the Māori Women’s Welfare League and fourteen years for SAFECARE, a forensic support rape and sexual assault team linked with the NZ Police and Doctors for sexual abuse care.

Her voluntary work includes advising primary school on cultural issues and implementation of Ngāi Tahu education initiatives.

Michelle is a primary care nurse and works for Pegasus Health in Ōtautahi.

She will complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Mental Health in 2012.

Paula Moyle (Ngāti Porou) says her early life experience as a ward of the New Zealand State resulted in significant cultural alienation.

Her decision later to work with community and become an expert in family violence prevention was inspired by her childhood experiences.

Paula’s life and work experience as a volunteer or lowly paid worker in Women’s Refuge, Rape Crisis, Kohanga Reo, her local marae and as a carpenter with a Trades Certificate in an all-male gang, heightened her community and social awareness.

In 1998, Paula formalised her community awareness and work experience with a Diploma of Social Work through Victoria University.

In 2012 Paula will complete a Master of Social Sciences and Master of Social Work through Massey University, and hopes to complete a PHD within the next five years

Background to the awards

Hauora Māori Scholarships
The Hauora Māori Scholarships (HMS) programme is an integral part of the Māori Provider Development Scheme (MPDS). It is managed by the Māori Health Improvement Programme within the Ministry. This year, 574 scholarships were awarded to students across eleven categories and totalling just under 1.3 million dollars.

The John McLeod Awards
The John McLeod Scholarship Awards are in memory of the late Dr John McLeod who was renown, nationally and internationally for his work in public health and his significant contribution toward improving Māori health status. His distinguished medical, research and management careers ended with his death in 1994.
The John McLeod Scholarship Awards have been managed by the Ministry of Health since 1996.
To receive this scholarship a HMS candidate must possess a strong commitment to Māori health gains, display leadership qualities and demonstrate excellence in academia.

Te Apa Māreikura Awards
Launched in 2008 the Te Apa Māreikura Scholarship Awards are in memory of four prominent Māori community leaders and their contribution to the improvement of Māori health. The kuia and kaumatua were: Anne Delamere (Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Arawa); Bill Katene (Ngāti Toa Rangatira) ; Dennis Simpson (Ngāti Awa, Tuhourangi); and Rongo Wirepa (Ngāti Porou, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Rongowhakaata)

To receive this scholarship a HMS candidate must demonstrate a significant contribution to communities, a strong commitment to Māori health gains, and proven leadership qualities.