Te Ahi Kaa features the podcast and series Getting Better - A Year in the Life of a Māori Medical Student with Trainee Doctor, award-winning writer, Emma Espiner nō Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Pōrou.
Read more from episode three and subscribe to the series here.
Middlemore is Emma’s favourite hospital, it’s where she wants to work once she qualifies. It’s also where she first met Dr Vaaiga Autagavaia who grew up down the road from here in South Auckland. Vaaiga takes Emma to meet the Rugby League team he coaches at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Ōtara as part of a training programme that goes far beyond sport and into the development of life skills. First XIII Rugby league team players Tasi Smith, Raydan Fotu, Kaipati Naniseni and David Tali share their story about how the kaupapa of the programme has impacted them.
Dr Vaaiga Autagavia with Emma Espiner Photo: Bird of Paradise Productions
