Te Whare Taumata o Ngā Tauira Taiwhenua O Aotearoa provide a diverse, representative voice for students interested in improving health and wellbeing outcomes for all rural communities.
Our aim is to promote rural health careers to tertiary and pre-tertiary students expressing an interest in studying towards a career in rural health.
Our work involves engaging with schools, tertiary education institutions, rural communities, Māori communities, and the rural health workforce, to form important relationships for the benefit of current and future tertiary students.
We advocate for rural students, particularly rural Māori students, to ensure tertiary institutions continue to utilise policies and entry pathways that produce an equitable health workforce for current and future rural communities.
You do not need to be from a rural community to assist us in our mahi within Hauora Taiwhenua, just passionate in providing equitable health outcomes to rural communities by inspiring the next generation of health professionals.
Four scholarships awarded per year, worth $5,000 per scholarship. At least one awarded student must be of Māori/Pasifika ethnicity.
Awarded to first year tertiary students studying medicine, nursing and allied health supporting living costs and study resources.
Nominations currently closed.
Two scholarships awarded per year, worth $5,000 per scholarship.
Awarded to any health students, to support a 12-week elective/studentship, and/or research placement within a rural community of the student’s choice (intended to help cover living expenses).
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Kia ora! My name is Rujula Chitnis, and I am a 3rd-year medical student at Waipapa Taumata Rau, The University of Auckland. Born in India, I moved to Aotearoa as a kid and lived across Auckland, Christchurch, and New Plymouth. Completing high school in Taranaki grounded my connection to regional New Zealand and gave me a firsthand appreciation of the unique strengths and healthcare needs of rural communities.
A major highlight of my time with SoRHA so far was joining a Rural School Visit to Waikato and Coromandel earlier this year. It reinforced how vital it is for us as students to connect with local rangatahi and encourage them towards health pathways.
I’m so excited to step up as your General Co-Chair for 2027! I want to help SoRHA feel like a welcoming space for every health student interested in rural care. I hope to expand our outreach, support tauira across all disciplines, and keep building the momentum of this amazing community!
Kia ora koutou!
My name is Rosie and I am currently a 5th Year medical student on RMIP (Rural Immersion placement) in Hauraki/Coromandel. I grew up in Timaru, South Canterbury, but have been up studying in Auckland + Waikato for the last few years. I’m passionate about rural communities and being a part of developing a workforce that serves our people well. I’ve been involved with Auckland uni’s rural health club Grassroots, alongside participating in rural school visits and getting involved with some rural education research.
I’m super excited to be one of the General Co-Chairs (alongside Rujula!) for 2027 and look forward to advocating for rural students and supporting the rest of our wonderful executive team.
Kia ora, ko Jesse tōku ingoa, he uri tēnei nō Ngāpuhi. I am honoured to continue to serve as Māori Co-Chair for Te Whare Taumata o Ngā Tauira Taiwhenua o Aotearoa for 2027. Born and raised in the Karetu Valley, the Bay of Islands is my home in every sense of the word.
After high school, I began my career as a community pharmacy technician, working across the mid-north for over five years. I later completed a Certificate in Health Sciences in 2022 at the University of Auckland – Waipapa Taumata Rau, where I am currently studying towards a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB). My long-term goal is to return home to Te Tai Tokerau to practise as a doctor and give back to the communities that have shaped me.
In pursuing this goal, I recognise that we as tauira do not need to wait to have an impact. I am committed to championing equity for Māori and rural New Zealanders now, taking every opportunity presented to me to empower whānau and help ensure that no matter where we live across the motu, our communities can thrive.
Taking on the mantle as Māori Co-Chair feels like a natural extension of this kaupapa. I hope to further these goals by advocating for and connecting ngā tauira as the future of rural health in Aotearoa.
Kia ora, ko Shauna tōku ingoa. He uri tēnei nō Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa, Te Rarawa me Ngāpuhi. I grew up for most of my life in the beautiful town of Ōpōtiki, where I plan to return once I complete my studies. I am currently in my fourth and final year of a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at the University of Otago.
I am blessed to serve as one of the Māori Co-Chairs for 2027. This role builds upon previous kaupapa I have done. In 2026, I had the privilege of serving as Tūmuaki for Ngā Raukura o Tāne Whakapiripiri (Māori Physiotherapy Student Association), where my focus was on fostering whakawhanaungatanga, kotahitanga, and uplift tauira across health. Alongside this, I have been actively involved in supporting first-year tauira, tuakana-teina mentorship initiatives, serving in health and safety roles, and participating in rural health tours to inspire high school students across the motu.
I am deeply committed to bringing our people together in unity and solidarity. As a student collective, our responsibility goes beyond addressing immediate challenges, we can champion a forward looking vision that nurtures impactful leadership and drives change within our communities. In this role I look forward to advocating and empowering our whanau, tauira and rural communities to shape a prosperous future in Aotearoa.
Mahi a Whānaunga 2027
Mihimihi Hutia te rito o te harakeke! Kei hea te kōmako e kō? Kī mai ki ahau, He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? Māku e kī atu, He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
Ko te mihi tuatahi ki Te Atua, nāna nei ngā mea katoa.
Ko te mihi tuarua ki Hauora Taiwhenua, he nui te mahi, he pai te mahi, tēnā koutou, e mihi ana ki a koutou.
Ko te mihi tuatoru ki a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku, e taurima nei i a tātou katoa, tēnā kōrua.
Ko te mihi tuawhā ki te hunga mate. Haere, haere, haere. Haere ki Hawaiki-nui, ki Hawaiki-roa, ki Hawaiki-pāmamao. Haere, haere, haere!
Ko te mihi whakamutunga ki a koutou katoa, ā, ki a tātou katoa e tautoko ana i te kaupapa nei i tēnei rā. E mihi ana.
Ki ngā mana, ki ngā reo,
Tēnā koutou, Tēnā koutou, Tēnā tātou katoa.
Ngā Pepeha ō Te Taha Mana Wāhine Tenei te pepeha o Te Whānau ki Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu Nui te mana Nui te hītori Nui te mahi
Te Kaitiaki ō Te Tai Tokerau
Anahera <- Tina <- Daislene <- Sonny Chan <- Rangihinga Horomona Tauhinu
E noho nei au i te maunga tapu o Puhangā Tohorā,
Ka mātai whakararo ki te kei o Ngātokimatawhaorua, e ripi rere ana,
Ki ngā wai tuku kiri o Waima, e pari mai rā,
Ki tōku kāinga taurikura, ki Taheke.
I puta ai te kōrero:
Ka mimiti te puna i Taumarere, Ka toto te puna i Hokianga, Ka toto te puna i Taumarere, Ka mimiti te puna i Hokianga.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Tenei te pepeha o Te Whānau ki Te Hiku o Te Ika.
Ka ora. Ka ora. Ka ora.
Anahera <- Tina <- Daislene <- Mere Hiriwa (Sylva) <- Joseph Sylva & Martha Hetaraka Henare
He nui te mana o Daislene Martha Chan. Ka ora. Ka ora. Ka ora.
Ko Maunga Piko te maunga, Ko Kurahaupō te waka, Ko Pohurihanga te tangata, Ko Pārengarenga te wahapū, Ko Waitiki te awa, Ko Mareitu te urupā, Ko Te Hāpua te kāinga, Ko Te Hiku o Te Ika te marae, Ko Ngāti Kuri te iwi.
Ko Anahera Horomona Tauhinu Hiriwa Toko tōku ingoa.
Tāngata Tiriti Whakawhānaungatanga
Salutations, My name is Angel Loren Harbers. I whakapapa (have genealogical ties) to Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kuri, Māori (Indigenous) tribes from the Te Hiku ō Te Ika a Māui me Te Taitokerau (Northland, New Zealand). I live in the Far North of Aotearoa in Houhora, and my connection to Northland continues to shape my clinical and academic pursuits within rural health.
This year, I have made the decision to defer my final year of medical school to pursue a PhD within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the Waipapa Taumata Rau (University of Auckland), under the supervision of Professor Peter Shepherd in the Department of Cellular Signalling.
My research will be based in Te Hāpua and will investigate culturally safe, community-based approaches to weight management. Through mixed methodologies (qualitative and quantitative research) and the incorporation of MRI-calibrated ultrasound, I hope to explore approaches to weight management that are clinically meaningful, culturally appropriate and responsive to the needs and aspirations of rural Māori communities.
I am passionate about increasing accessibility to healthcare, advocating for equitable access to higher education, and cultivating the healthcare workforce of tomorrow. I believe that our rural communities should not only have access to quality healthcare, but also have meaningful opportunities to lead, shape and participate in the research and health services that affect them.
I have been privileged to serve Hauora Taiwhenua (HT) and Te Whare Taumata o Ngā Tauira Taiwhenua O Aotearoa (SoRHA) in several capacities, including as Hauora Māori Representative in 2022/2023, Māori Co-Chair 2025, and Social Media and Communications Representative 2026. Within HT, I have served on the HT Council as a SoRHA representative in 2023 and 2025, attended the Rural Māori Health Strategy in 2025, and was present at the inaugural HT AGM in 2023. Through these roles, I have witnessed the importance of representation, advocacy and creating spaces where rural tauira feel connected, supported and empowered to pursue careers in healthcare.
My experiences have reinforced my belief that the future of rural health lies in strengthening the relationship between our communities, our tauira and the health workforce. I hope to continue contributing to this kaupapa through research, advocacy, and support for the next generation of rural and Māori health professionals.
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
What is the most important thing in this world? It is people, it is people, it is people
He Whakamutunga Ruia! Ruia! Tahia! Tahia! Opea! Opea! Whiria! Whiria!
Kia hemo ake te kākoakoa, Kia herea mai ki te kawau korokī.
E tātaki mai ana i roto i tōna pūkorokoro, whaikaro.
Te kuaka, he kuaka mārangaranga, Kotahi te manu i tau atu ki te tāhuna.
Tau atu! Tau atu! Tau atu!
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Kia ora! I’m a fifth-year medical student at the University of Auckland. Originally from Beijing, China, I moved to New Zealand in 2018, settling in Hamilton before beginning university in Auckland in 2023.
My interest in rural health began in 2025 when I joined a rural school trip organised by Students of Rural Health Aotearoa (SoRHA). Speaking with rural teachers and students gave me valuable insight into the challenges and strengths of rural communities and inspired me to become more involved in rural health advocacy.
In 2026, I served as SoRHA’s North Island Outreach Representative, a role I thoroughly enjoyed for its people, teamwork and meaningful work. I’m excited to return in 2027, alongside beginning the Rural Medical Immersion Programme in the Waikato region, where I look forward to experiencing rural community life firsthand.
I’m keen to build on these experiences, connect students with rural health opportunities and continue supporting SoRHA’s work across the North Island.
Kia Ora, I am a fifth-year medical student at the University of Otago, Christchurch campus, based in Queenstown for RMIP in 2027. I am also a medic with the NZ Army Reserves (Southern Health Support Squadron, SHSS).
Rural medicine is something which I am incredibly passionate about. I have served as President of the Matagouri Rural Health Club, participated in the ELM3 Rural Cases pilot and received the HTRHN Scholarship for a Summer Studentship investigating Disaster Preparedness on the West Coast. I am excited to be returning as the SoRHA SI Outreach Rep this year, connecting students to the awesome opportunities that are available. Outside of medicine, I am an endurance trail runner, having run an accumulated 667.8km across all of the Great Walks over the 2024/2025 summer.
Kia ora, I’m Lucy, a fourth year pharmacy student at the University of Otago. I have always been interested in rural and regional health, and the unique role that healthcare providers play in these communities to effectively meet their needs.
I’m excited to be the South Island Rural School Visits Representative this year!
Through volunteering on the recent Canterbury Rural School Visit, I saw firsthand the positive impact these trips can have on rural students. I’m passionate about helping continue this work and I hope to contribute to making our future trips a rewarding experience for everyone involved. So we can continue to inspire the next generation of rural health professionals!
