Kei taku tahuna-a-tara, ke aku taniwha hikoroa, tomo mai ki te whare korero o Te Hui. Ko Mihingarangi tenei e mihi atu nei, nau mai, tahuti mai ra. Welcome to The Hui, Maori current affairs for all New Zealanders. E taro ake nei. It's an agonising disease. 1 in 10 women suffer endometriosis, so why does it take so long to be diagnosed? For so long, I'd just been told it was nothing, and I was overreacting. We speak to three women about living with endo. And we meet the science teacher making a big impact on rangatahi. If you aspire to something different, then it can be done. Tawera Williams tells his inspiring story about how love can triumph over tragedy. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 Karahuihui mai. Imagine being told you'll never be able to have children. For many sufferers of endometriosis, this is the cruel reality of a cruel disease. Endo effects 1 in 10 women and can cause excruciating pain, infertility and even the loss of organs. But despite being a reasonably common condition, on average it takes sufferers nearly 10 years to get a correct diagnosis and the treatment they desperately need. Raiha Paki met three women who are speaking out about endo, in the hope they can help others who may be suffering in silence. Three wahine, three experiences, one chronic illness. Endometriosis ` a painful condition affecting 1 in 10 women,... but most of them suffer in silence. I ako au ki te hikoi ahakoa ko te roko ano nei he oka he maripi e wero haere ana i aku whekau tonu. Kia tae atu au ki tetahi wahi tumataiti hei reira ka taka au ki te papa me te rere o te roimata. Most months, you know, I have to take one day off school, take lots of Panadol to school with you, made you feel really self-conscious, because you didn't know if you were going to start vomiting in the class, have to run out of the class. And you're already on that low, so you can't really be bothered doing anything. And you kind of slip into a little bit of depression. Ordinary women living their lives in excruciating pain. Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition. It's an inflammatory condition, and it's where tissue that's very similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside the uterus growing where it shouldn't be. Teri Forrest is a 31-year-old psychology student from Christchurch. Since her very first period at age 12, Teri has suffered from endometriosis. I never really, literally, talked to anybody about the fact that every month, it was really painful and that I vomited and stuff. I just acted like it was just normal and never talked to any of the girls at school about it. Teri now relies on this box of meds to manage her endometriosis. Delayed diagnosis has cost her an ovary and a kidney and possibly a chance to have children. It's overwhelming at times. It makes you angry sometimes. Teri's cousin, Paige Wharehinga, has also suffered endometriosis since her first period. At just 25, Paige has already been under the knife twice. She says the disease has had a huge emotional impact. My relationships, I haven't really gone into detail with it. And I mean, it's hard, because a lot of the times, you don't want to do anything sexual, because it's just, like, really painful or bloating and stuff like that, so a lot of the time I don't really say anything. Morena. Morena. Women with endo can spend years on surgery waiting lists. Fortunately, Paige has private health insurance. Today, she's getting ready for another operation. Right. Are you in any pain? Nah, I'm OK right now. And nil by mouth. Nil by mouth ` no food. Going under the knife to remove the uterine lining from other organs is common practice for many women with endometriosis, but that doesn't make it any easier. So, it's, kind of, a little bit scary, because, again, surgery can hinder fertility. How will the surgery improve your quality of life? I mean, the reason you do the surgery is to get rid of all that tissue that's growing outside of the uterus that isn't meant to be there. So getting rid of that means less pain. Obviously, socially, work-wise, sporting, I'll be able to do things more than I have been. Like Paige, reo advocate Hana O'Regan has had her fair share of surgeries. She suffered agonising periods and heavy bleeding since her early teens. Hana's first doctor prescribed painkillers and the contraceptive pill, but she knew something was seriously wrong. E kare rua tekau ma toru ano taku pakeke i te wa i haere au ki tetahi atu takuta i ruka i te taku mataku i te kore hapu ` nana te kupu tuatahi ` te wa tuatahi i roko au i tera ingoa o te kiri kopu ki te reo pakeha me taku kore mohio he aha ra tera. When she was finally operated on, it was found the endometriosis had spread. Her doctor confirmed her worst fear ` Hana wouldn't be able to have children. He whakama noku, he mataku hoki noku ` he mataku i au i tera wa kei noho wharekaro na ruka i tera he nui nga taumahatanga i te taha wairua me te taha hinengaro i tau mai ki a au. CEO of Endometriosis New Zealand Deborah Bush says Hana's story is not unusual. 30% to 50% of women affected by endometriosis experience infertility. And endometriosis is often misdiagnosed. You've been in this for 20 years. And we're still taking eight to 10 years just to get a diagnosis. Why aren't things improving? I still don't know why. Why wouldn't this be one of the first things they think about? I wish we'd just understand that recognising the symptoms early is really important, and that this disease can start from a girl's first menstrual period. So why are women disadvantaged because they're women. Deborah says many sufferers of endometriosis feel like their symptoms aren't taken seriously, and, as a result, they have to wait years before they finally get the help they need. Something Teri has experienced first hand. You know, the fact that, yes, this pain was actually real and, like, that something was actually wrong with my body, because, for so long, I'd just been told it was nothing, and I was overreacting. I think that we all need to take responsibility. Doctors need to be listening for the symptoms and taking those symptoms seriously. Just a few years after being told she would never have children, Hana finally got some good news. I tae mai tetahi ahuataka ki a au me taku ohorere katoa, ohorere hoki taku takuta. I hapu au, hapu ohorere nei. I tera wa kaore au i te rite i te mea kua roa au e whakau ana i te whakaaro e kore au e whai tamariki. Hana defied the odds not once but twice ` she's now mum to 13-year-old son Te Rautawhiri and 14-year-old daughter Manuhaea. She says having private medical insurance made all the difference, because she was able to be treated sooner. Mena kaore he rika awhina ki te taha inihua, kaore i a au aku tamariki. Taku whakapono marika, i ora au, i ora aku tamariki i era mahi. As Paige heads to hospital, she hopes surgery will one day give her the chance of starting her own family. I mean, it's exciting, because you want to get it done and dealt with. Then you can move on again and be over it. Hana hopes instead of suffering in silence, more women will speak up about their battles with endometriosis. Kaua e noho whakama ki te korero i enei korero. Kaore e kore ki te whai wahi koe ki te korero ki etahi atu, ka kitea ehara i te mea ko koe anake. I reira koe ka pakari ake ki te whai i te huarahi hei awhina i a koe. Kaore he hua o te noho puku. After the break, I speak to Oranga Tamariki about children caught up in the Housing New Zealand meth testing debacle. Noreira kia mau tonu mai ra te titiro. Auraki mai ano. Well, we know hundreds of Housing New Zealand tenants were needlessly evicted from their state homes after traces of methamphetamine were detected using incorrect guidelines. Sometimes tenants were given just hours to leave, forcing them to abandon their belongings. The Hui also understands that, in some cases, where tenants had children, Housing New Zealand notified CYFS, known now as Oranga Tamariki. So just how many whanau were the subject of these Housing New Zealand notifications? And how did Oranga Tamariki respond? We invited the CEO of Oranga Tamariki, Grainne Moss, to speak with us today, but our request was declined. So joining me instead is the regional manager for the Bay of Plenty, Tayelva Petley. Tena koe. Kia ora. I guess, first of all, tell me, you know, in your role, what kinds of things are you doing in the Bay of Plenty? We're doing some amazing things in the Bay of Plenty. Under the umbrella of Oranga Tamariki and the current leadership that we have, we have got new permission, if you like, as a new organisation to venture into new ways of doing things. That has included working a lot more closer with government agencies. But more so, what's really exciting is working with our local Maori communities, our hapu, our whanau and our iwi. So working alongside them to` with the aim of putting children back with their whanau? Yeah, more than that as well, actually. We're doing` In the Bay of Plenty in particular, which is where I manage, we're doing some preventative work, albeit that's early in terms of our five-year strategic plan for Oranga Tamariki. We have prevention work in working closely with Tuhoe` with a provider in Tuhoe ` Tuhoe Hauora ` and we've seen some amazing results. And the results relate to engagement with whanau. What are some of the relations` What is working there with Tuhoe, for an example, if we use them. Because, you know, there had been talk` Dame Tariana Turia has always talked about the duty of care being shifted from an organisation like Oranga Tamariki to the iwi ` is that the kinds of things you're talking around? That's exactly what we're talking about. And we've been able to evidence, actually, that it works ` it works for our whanau, it works for our hapu, and it works for our iwi. So, with Tuhoe Hauora, as the provider, they sit alongside us when we receive reports of concern. And they identify whanau that they could work with. So, when the vulnerabilities that have been presented they believe that they're in a position to be able to work with the whanau to address those vulnerabilities, they take the case. And we're not involved. We close the case. You heard the intro into this` Yes. ...interview. And so let's talk about that. How many children have been uplifted by Oranga Tamariki as a result of the bogus science, if you like, of meth testing. I've got to say, I don't have the statistics on hand, but what I can say is that there would have been children removed, but not specifically solely on the back of the result of the methamphetamine testing. We would have done further investigating to warrant that. But, so, what you're saying then is that there was a notification by Housing New Zealand perhaps in some of the cases. But, you know, possibly that was the straw that broke the camel's back ` that you actually had a notification for the P testing, and then you delved in and found another few notifications, another few` some more evidence and made a decision based on that. Yep. So, although ` and rightfully so ` we were notified, because of the concern of methamphetamine being present, so I'm not sure that the measure actually is the issue. So, we are tasked with` we have social work teams ` and, I've got to say, work really, really hard and who are invested in` So you're saying that it doesn't really matter what level the methamphetamine is, if there was methamphetamine present in those families, then that was the concern. Yes, that's the concern, but it does warrant for us to check that there aren't any other vulnerabilities that are contributing to the safety of our tamariki or mokopuna, so, yeah, I think that that is the right thing to do. In fact, Housing New Zealand are obligated under the Act to notify us. So are you saying that you support every case where a child has been uplifted from Oranga Tamariki based on bogus science? No, they haven't been uplifted based on the fact that the methamphetamine testing had been completed. Children only get uplifted if there are numerous vulnerabilities that a social worker has identified that puts a child at serious risk. It was actually Anne Tolley, the former Minister of MSD, who said that within the system, there is unconscious bias towards Maori whanau. So if you look at the high number of Maori tamariki in your system, and also if you look at the cases` well, the case that The Hui did just a few years ago, this is a Maori whanau, so not only have their children been uplifted based on meth testing that's not correct, but they're also Maori, so they're also possibly been discriminated against because of the system. So, what we do know is` on the back of the review of Child, Youth and Family, we do know that there are things that we need to be doing better, specifically around responsiveness to Maori. And we do know that we've got to engage a lot better with, in particular, whanau, hence the reason why we're doing things like working in partnership with our local Maori communities. And I've got to say, when that happens, the partnerships are genuine partnerships. The idea is that they don't just work alongside us, there's a very equity level around contribution to what best should happen. And when we've done that, we've seen success. So, when, last year, everyone learnt that the science wasn't correct or the guidelines were being misused, at that point, would you have expected an organisation that puts children at the centre of everything would immediately go back and look at the children who had been uplifted because of meth? Did that happen? Well, no, because there's so much more` if children have been uplifted, like I said, it would be on more than` But do you accept that the meth testing is incorrect? I accept` I've been advised that an expert has said that it is incorrect. So if someone says that, would you not immediately go back to every single case that has had that associated with it and revise it. Well, if the children had been uplifted, there would be no need to revise, because we wouldn't have uplifted a child based on just the testing. Yeah, but it's still evidence that goes towards uplifting them. I think it's a vulnerability. Yeah. It's a vulnerability. If you had two reasons to uplift a child, and one of them was the meth testing, then you've only got one reason to uplift a child. And that's possibly not enough. No, we would definitely not uplift on just solely` So you're satisfied that all the children in Oranga Tamariki are there for a good reason? Oranga Tamariki's social workers pull together the information that identifies potential vulnerability. When that's been evidenced, then it's presented to` it's scrutinised, if you like, through the Family Court. Thank you. We've just run out of time. And you had to explain that beforehand. I'd like to say thank you so much for coming on this morning and explaining that to us. Tena koe. Tena koe. E haere ake nei i a Te Hui, ka tutaki i tetahi o nga kaiako autaia rawa atu o Aotearoa. Ko te manu kai miro, nona te ngahere, ko te manu kai matauranga ` nona te ao. Tarewa Williams is the winner of the National Excellency in Teaching Award, but he might never have received this top honour were it not for his tuakana ` older brother, Noho. Ruwani Perera met up with the two brothers to find out how education has changed their lives. He's been singled out as one of the country's top teachers. My function is to offer the opportunity for them to be their best self. Tarewa Williams has learned some valuable life lessons, and he wants to pass that on to his students. I'll preach till the cows come home that education, for me, is the key to opportunity. This is an inspiring story about brotherhood, and how love can triumph over tragedy. (BELL RINGS) Good morning. Morning. Morning. Thanks for your help, by the way, this morning. Good morning. Morning, Sir. Good morning. 49-year-old Tarewa Williams is a little unconventional in his teaching methods. So, you're going to be doing four experiments. Where there is a change in temperature` One of the things that I try and do is excite kids about science, relate it to their everyday lives. As Head of Science at One Tree Hill College in Auckland, Tarewa wants to show these Year 12 students that in his chemistry class, it's not just what's in a textbook that's important. You can take it out. And make sure you just rinse it out. You know, is the utility of information around exothermic and endothermic reactions going to help someone in their job? Probably not. But is the opportunity to work as a team and work independently going to be applicable anywhere? Absolutely. Today, Tarewa and his 7-year-old son Aronui are eagerly awaiting a visit from Tarewa's big brother. 61-year-old Noho lives in Christchurch with his wife Katrina, but despite the distance, the bond between the brothers remains strong. When Tarewa was a young boy, Noho raised him as his own. I never thought of him as my father. I never thought of him as Dad. I thought of him as a man that I wanted to model myself after ` loyal, determined, hard-working, loving, caring. I wanted them to have better than we had. We had a tough life. There were very dark moments. My parents, they struggled. I think, when I was 10, we had already seven brothers and sisters. Whenever Noho makes the trip up north, the brothers make the journey back home to the Waikato. Our whakapapa goes right back through the Kingitanga, and we've had influences like Potatau, Tawhio and Te Puea. And those people are exemplars, if you like, of the highest order in terms of selflessness, developing unity and serving your people. Their mother, Te Atarua, learned the true meaning of that after she was left to raise her ten children on her own when their father left the family. But at just 45, Te Atarua succumbed to lung cancer, leaving her youngest children's futures uncertain. Tarewa, the youngest son, was just 11 years old. The sacred urupa of Taupiri is where their beloved mum is laid to rest. Do you ever wonder what would have happened to you had your brother not taken you in? I do. Do you think you would have gone into care? Categorically, Noho wouldn't have let it happen, even as a young man. It would never have been any other way. He wouldn't have let it happen. Noho was 22 and decided his youngest brother and sister would live with him and Katrina in Invercargill. You know, a young married couple who now have an 11-year-old and a nine year-old. I mean,... (EXHALES DEEPLY) I find that really mind-blowing. Was it hard? It wasn't easy, I have to say. But for me, it definitely wasn't a sacrifice. It was the right thing to do. They helped me grow as well. It wasn't just one way. While he worked different jobs to provide for his family, there was one obstacle Noho found difficult to overcome ` helping his little brother with his homework. With no formal qualifications, Noho knew he needed to step up. So, I did School Cert by correspondence. I loved it. It fired up something in me in terms of the method of teaching. I could do it in my own time. I could read the material, make myself familiar with it. The basics that I couldn't pick up in high school were in there. I distinctly remember sitting at the table doing my homework, and he was doing his. He was doing, at that point, School Cert, which is now equivalent to Year 11 ` English, Maths and Maori. And because he was a shift worker at that particular time, he would stay up at all hours to do that. Noho's hard work paid off. School C led to University Entrance and two university degrees at Masters level. Yeah, I sort of got a real passion for learning, got a little bit hooked on it, to be honest. I loved to learn. But as a young boy, Noho struggled at school. It wasn't that I was thick or anything, just school didn't work for me. I was totally disengaged. I was disruptive, and I thought I'd better leave before I was asked to leave. His big brother's experience drives Tawera's passion for his profession, going that extra mile to help his students. Noho was a square peg which they tried to put into a round hole, and it didn't fit. Our system didn't fit him. And like many young Maori men, he had to make his way through that process. And I can only imagine how tough that was for a smart, motivated young man to, all of a sudden, be told, categorically, you don't fit. The thing that I learned from that is to treat every kid like they're an individual. And I'm not trying to fit them into any hole. They get to choose what that is. Tarewa's teaching style empowers students to reach their full potential, like 17-year-old Ariana Guptill. The first time I took science was in Year 9 and loved it apparently. I'm still taking it now, so something must have worked. I'm not sure science would have been in her outlook. The fact that it is still in her outlook speaks to the fact that she understands that the more scope that you have at school, the more scope you can use to make your decisions in your opportunities that you pursue. Now in her final year of school, Ariana credits Tarewa for helping her, including getting a 20,000 scholarship to study at a prestigious university overseas. In Year 9, I was very shy. If you had told me that I was going to be Head Girl ` no, I wouldn't have thought so. But he definitely brought me out of my shell and helped me to build confidence and stuff with public speaking, but also just speaking one-on-one. Tarewa's approach was recently recognised, scoring a National Excellence in Teaching Award, one of only two given to secondary school teachers in the country. It's really important for all students to see people like them succeeding, and for our Maori students, in particular, to see a teacher like Tarewa leading science, achieving this excellence award. For them to see him doing that, I can do that. And he is passionate about Maori education. He's passionate about empowering young people to be the best. BOTH SING: # Pupuhia e te hau # kapohia aku roimata # And for Tarewa, he credits the love and backing of his whanau that's got him to where he is today. I've been supported in my journey. I haven't done that by myself. Your background is what it is. If you aspire to something different, then it can be done, absolutely. Nga mihi nui kia koe, Tarewa. Na Ruwani Perera tera purongo. Kua hikina te hui mo tenei ra. Newshub Nation's next. Pai marire ki a tatou katoa. Captions by Elizabeth Welsh. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 ALL: He mea tautoko na Te Mangai Paho. The Hui is made with support from New Zealand On Air.