Skip Content
Ruta Aloisio: Tauira - Manaaki Tangata

Ruta Aloisio knows there are plenty of issues that need dealing with in her Ōtara community and got to the stage where she wanted to do something to help.

So she enrolled in the Level 4 Certificate in Bicultural Social Services – Manaaki Tangata programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Māngere and says it’s given her the skills to help not only her community, but also to help herself.

“I just wanted to do something to give back to the community because I know that social services work around youth and children and I thought it would be nice for me to actually study and then help out,” she says.

“I see a lot of poverty and lots of abuse and all that going on around here and I just wanted my children to grow up in a safe environment.”

That safe environment begins at home and Ruta says since she started studying, her relationship with her whānau is much better.

“I came in with a lot of baggage and so, throughout the course I have been sharing and letting it off my shoulders so now the weight’s gone. Before I joined, I used to yell at my kids but now, I haven’t really shouted at them, I just tell them nicely. The change of voice changes the way they react, so the bond between me and my children since I’ve joined the course has been great, it’s changed a lot.” 

Ruta hopes to continue studying towards the Bachelor of Bicultural Social Work, not only to further build her skills but to be a positive example to her whānau.

“My children are seeing that I’m eager to get educated and they’re like ‘I want to be like mum’.”

And Ruta says others in her community would also benefit from following the path she has taken.

“I know other people, they have problems they’re going through right now. I tell them they should take this course because it would really help. Because the problems I’m seeing, taking this course is going to take that pressure off and it’s going to help you a lot.”

Learn more about our Social Services programmes

 Back to news & events

Published On: 14 June 2021

Article By: Tracey Cooper



Other Articles

  • 14 May 2025

    A full circle moment from tauira to kaiako

    Explore the inspiring journey of Krystle Nikora, from tauira to kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Discover how her passion for te reo Māori blossomed and led her to teach He Pī ka Rere Level 3 and 4.

  • 8 May 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa introduces four new study opportunities in their Semester B offerings

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa introduces four new study programmes for Semester B, including Māori Governance, Digital Media and Design, Building and Construction Skills, and Study and Employment Skills. Designed to meet the needs of tauira, whānau, hapū, and iwi, these programmes integrate mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori perspectives. Enrol now to grow your skills and achieve your aspirations.

  • 30 April 2025

    Mākereti Papakura, the first Indigenous woman to study at Oxford, to be awarded a posthumous degree

    The School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford has announced that pioneering Māori scholar, Mākereti Papakura, will receive a posthumous degree more than 100 years after she began her studies.

  • 24 April 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa celebrates 40 years of transforming education

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa celebrates 40 years of transforming education since the opening of O-Tāwhao Marae. Join us for a special Taringa podcast episode and livestream on Facebook.