Whānau Tribal affiliations – Tainui Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā Puhi, Samoa. • Recipient if the Grand Prior St John Cadet Award and Recipient of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award • Trained Teacher and has worked in Intermediate and secondary schools for 10 + Years • Mother to Seven Tamariki for the last 30 years • Home-schooled own tamariki for 6 years • Proud Grandmother of four mokopuna for the last 13 years • Receptionist at Barfoot and Thompson for 1 year • Tour Director for Scenic Tours Australia 2 Years • Parking warden for Auckland City Council 2 years • Parking Trainer for Auckland City Council and then Auckland Transport for 8 years • Team Lead Te Ara Haepapa (Community Transport) Auckland Transport for 6 Years Rāhera has developed and led the Te Ara Haepapa Programme from its inception in the Māori Road Safety Space at Auckland Transport for the last six years. Rāhera leads this innovative, courageous, unique and groundbreaking initiative which challenges the norms in the traditional road safety space. Rāhera and her team engages and works collaboratively with Māori to achieve positive outcomes that is bespoke to each marae, kura, kohanga, and hapori Maori. The programme is founded on the principles of Tikanga Māori where the values of Manaakitanga, Tiakitanga and Whanaungatanga are applied and nurtured. This programme has attracted other ethnic groups, who feel safe, connected and empowered to take part. The Team work alongside each hapori to prioritise their needs in this space and work to build capacity and capability by fostering self-determination and self sufficiency to improve road safety outcomes through collective vision. “Passion and love for our people are the driving factors that keep us motivated to work long hours and at times that most would spend at home with whanau. If we want to effect change then we have to be prepared to do something different from what we have always done.”
