(GENTLE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) In the heart of New Zealand there's a high school with a twist. Here, pregnant and parenting teens come to complete their education with their babies beside them, or down the hall in the creche. This time ` Dru struggles with Areka's severe eczema. (CRIES) I know, I know. Could dreams of becoming a nurse slip out of Danielle's reach? I rarely have time to do homework. Frustrating. Eva faces her past to decide what she wants for her future. I told myself I wasn't gonna come back. And the time comes for Cierrah to leave the Teen Parent Unit. Leaving He Puawai is a bit scary for me. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 For two months now, one student's been missing from school. Cierrah's best friend, Eva, has been absent since the birth of her baby. (KNOCK ON DOOR) Hey, beautiful. (KISSES) She looks nice and healthy. That's cos all she does is eat. Like eat, eat, and eat. I was determined to come back to school. But I'm so tired. I'm drained. Getting myself sorted first is my main priority. School can wait. (GURGLES) Oh my goodness. Look at those cheeks. She's doing so well. She's such a good mummy. Hi. This isn't an easy job. Can you show Mummy a smile? Eva's been caring for Aria Marie alone for two months now, after her boyfriend, Hiki, decided to move back home to his mum's house. Now that I'm having to do this by myself, it's hard. It's lonely. I feel like I'm being let down. Everything we talked about, before having our daughter, was nothing. Hey. (GURGLES) Aw, all right. When he comes over, we argue, and I don't want that for her. She loves snuggles with Mama. Look at her. Cierrah and Eva share new motherhood, but also share challenging childhoods. It's been five years since Eva left her home town of Mangakino, where she had a difficult upbringing. Growing up in my family, a lot of things happened that I wish didn't. My dad was in Mongrel Mob. Yeah. We used to get hit ` a lot. I saw my parents argue all the time. When they argued, we would hide. I'd run to my grandfather's house, knowing my granddad wouldn't ring my dad. He was my safe haven. I don't want Aria Marie to ever feel like I did when that happened. (COOS) When I fell pregnant, my first thought was family ` I'm gonna have my family that I've always wanted. But it just didn't turn out that way. Good ol' lollies. My favourite. I still love him. I still have all the feelings in the world for him, but... we've both decided that it's not gonna work. Maybe one day we'll both mature enough to get back together and try out for our family, but, at the moment, we don't think it's gonna happen any time soon. (PEACEFUL MUSIC) (BABY CRIES) Yeah. Dru is a former head girl of Fraser High. She recently left the Teen Parent Unit to start a commerce degree. Good job. But baby Areka will stay at He Puawai creche until Dru settles in. Hi. This is what happens when you go to Wintec, ladies. You get a cool haircut. (LAUGHTER) What are your classes and things like? What are your topics? Um, this semester I'm doing four papers. Yep. I've never done anything like that before. Mm. I miss being back here, though. Do ya? Yeah. Go on, what do you miss? Just to make us all feel a little bit important today. Um, I miss just being around people that also have kids as well. I just had a group assignment, but baby was sick. Yep. They don't fully understand, like, what it's like to have a kid. You still eating? Dru has reason to be distracted from school work. Areka's been unwell with severe eczema. His skin has become infected and requires antibiotics. Gotta get his cream. Over the past couple of weeks it's been a bit of a struggle, because his eczema's flared up. And then it starts to get better, but I don't like to send him back to creche, because when he scratches, he scratches his skin raw to the point where it starts to bleed. Up, up. One, two, three. Ready. It's hard to see your kid scratch like that. We used to put gloves on his hands, but he knows how to take them off. He's just, he's so used to being itchy all the time. Look at him, opening his mouth. Dru needs to get to the cause of Areka's eczema and is on the waiting list for a specialist appointment. We have to go and get blood tests done. So, they'll do the pricks on his arm and figure out what he's allergic to. To make life more difficult, she no longer has the support of Areka's father, D'Artagnan. I haven't seen Areka's dad... that much, and we don't really talk that much. Oh, oh, oh. We went through a rough patch. A lot of the time I had to tell him what to do, so it was like I was mothering him too. And I'm not keen on that. I've already got one kid. I don't need two. Kiss. Mwah. (GURGLES) Kiss kiss. Mwah. How are you getting on with these overalls? Have we had a bit of a look, girls, and found some sizes? Moving out from under the wing of the Teen Parent Unit can be a daunting prospect for some students. Leaving He Puawai is a bit scary for me, because it has been my solid foundation for a while. Yeah, it's my little happy place. You look cool. I feel professional. Yes. So, let's wander in and we'll have a bit of a quick tour. Who's got their licence, here? Cierrah has come a long way since she joined He Puawai as a pregnant 15-year-old. But she's been struggling to decide whether she wants to study beauty or auto mechanics next year. OK, so, this vehicle here is a front-wheel drive. Can you all see that, that it's front-wheel drive? In the last three years, she's achieved Level 1, Level 2, had a baby, moved house, um, gone through custody with her baby. Most average teenagers would have just passed Level 1 and 2. Cierrah has decided to join a taster course at Wintec. We'll put a car on the hoist, eh? That's always a bit of fun. So, if I press this button, the vehicle goes up. (MOTOR WHIRRS) It's about her finding what really excites her and what she's passionate about. So, see how you go putting that on, guys. Oh, look, you know what you're doing. You'll actually be taking the class, next. This side? Slip her on, yep. And oh my God, we've got a doozy. So, we need a 45 on this side, eh? Yep. Yeah. A few people have been surprised by Cierrah's interest in auto mechanics. I have two dream cars. I like the Nissan Silvia S14, and I like Skyline R34s, as well. This is where you're going to do the welding side of it. People assume that I should just stick to nursing or something. It's their opinion. But I actually know what I feel happy doing and what I do well in. It's a big decision for her, this term, because she could be enrolling in the second semester this year, and going. So that's the big decision, is what she's gonna do. Mum, I draw the farm. Oh, cool. Some students do have a clear idea about what they want to do after He Puawai. The difficult part is how they're going to get there. I drawed a farm. Oh, you drawed a farm? How many animals you got on your farm? Cow. A cow. Danielle's dream is to become a nurse. Why don't you do your ABCs on that one? Use this pen. No. When she couldn't find a house to rent, Danielle was accepted into emergency housing with her two sons. For the past month, they've been living in a one-room motel studio. Mummy! (GRIZZLES) The unit only has a microwave to cook with. Josiah, do you want a sandwich, son? Son, do you want a sandwich? Josiah? OK. Sorry. There is no safe place around the motel for the kids to play. They've gotta stay indoors most of the time. They get bored. Son, don't do that. Danielle is trying to work her way through Level 2 NCEA so she can get into her nursing degree next term. I rarely have time to do homework, cos the kids are full on, and it's just hard to concentrate and get work done. Son, what's the matter? It's already open, look. It's open. (GRIZZLES) You just need to go like this. Like this, look. Look, see? There you go. Draw mum a flower. Please? No. RJ. (WHINES) Some days it's all right. Some days it's... frustrating. Yeah. * (PEACEFUL PIANO MUSIC) As a teen mum herself, Lee brings personal experience to her job as teacher in charge of He Puawai. The stigma of being a teen parent is still very much prevalent. I was young and just didn't quite see how people were gonna treat me differently. What actually is the meal? Chicken wraps. Ooh, yum. Yeah. Family fav, eh? There's days where you just wanna give up, but you just gotta keep going, and it's really hard. How small do you want me to chop the chicken up? Oh yeah, about four bits, do you reckon? Mm-hm. With so much going on in the home lives of He Puawai students, setting professional boundaries is a delicate balancing act. I live in Raglan, Whaingaroa, about 45km from Hamilton. My job's very emotionally involved. You get really close, so it's good to have some space when I get home, just to recharge my batteries. My kids told me, years ago, 'Mum, you can't bring a student home.' (LAUGHS) So my kids set my boundaries up. While she doesn't bring students home, she does bring work, and Lee often finds herself at the kitchen table planning for the week ahead. So, this week we have the career navigator/mentor meetings on. Some of them are the first people in their family to finish high school, let alone go into tertiary. It gives them another person in the community that they can go and talk to when they're finding it difficult, or they're a bit afraid or scared. So, yeah, It's really important to support them in their dreams. (LIGHT-HEARTED VIOLIN MUSIC) After struggling on her own, Eva has decided to keep chasing her dream ` to create a family unit. She and Aria Marie have moved out to Ngaruawahia with her boyfriend and his family. Me and Hiki are back together because we're a family. Our daughter is the most important thing in our life. We've got rules set, so that we don't get into a serious argument where there's a situation where I don't got anywhere to go. Cos I literally have no one in Ngaruawahia, besides these guys. Hello. Say hello. I live with Hiki, his mum, his brother, and his sister, and she loves being around all of her family, so I just appreciate the help now. One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. It's how it should be, really. How it was in the old days. I always told them, way back when they first got pregnant, 'I'll have her. You go back to school, do your thing.' Eva's on her way to forging her own whanau. But getting to school will be hard, now she's living too far out of Hamilton for the He Puawai van. It's gonna be tough, but my goal for the end of the year is to hit NCEA Level 2 on its head. I wanna walk across a stage, with my baby in my arms. I wanna graduate. And I wanna do it with Aria. (CRIES) Jonah. You wanna see the nurse? Cierrah has been worried about her 2-year-old, Jonah. Gonna see the nurse. She's taking him to see the He Puawai nurse. Me and the creche are just a bit concerned about his overall learning development. (FUSSES) How have you found his speech and language? How's it been going? (CRIES) I got that More Than Words book from the Plunket nurse. Yep. And I looked through that, and he is actually talking a lot and understanding a lot. But he just has his own vocab. And he's had his ears checked, eh? And there were no issues. No. How are you finding his hearing? Like, I'll stand next to him, and like, call out to him, but he's too focused on what he's doing. Yep. I just see that there's a bit of a delay, and I just want to make sure that everything's all right, and what I can do to support it. I'll definitely follow up with the McKenzie Centre. I think, in the meantime, keep doing what you're doing. You're doing such a great job. Coming up ` will a team of specialists be able to shed light on Jonah's delays? When I talk to him, he might not respond, but he's listening. Wow. The Great Toyota Sale. Choose any new Toyota and get... Your choice. Aw! Well, you're pretty choice too! * (GENTLE MUSIC) Danielle was brought up in a large family on Matakana Island in the Bay of Plenty. Her siblings regularly join her parents in weekend working bees. Seatbelts on. There's 11 of us ` seven girls and four boys. Usually in winter we're always doing firewood. (CHAINSAW RUMBLES) I grew up doing a lot of hunting and fishing, possum trapping. Even carried a few pigs out of the bush. (GIGGLES) (CHAINSAW BUZZES) My dad made me strong. Made me work a lot, too. (LAUGHS) He's a hard worker, as you can see. I get them out, so we've got family time, quality time. There's more out here to do than what there is in town. So if they're busy, they can't get into trouble. We need to move all this into a pile. None of us have graduated. I'm probably the only one still in education and schooling, out of the big kids. She's just an inspiration. She's amazing. And for a young mum, she's come a long way. I really wish an education was a big thing for my family. Cos now that I realise how important it is, I realise how much I've missed out on. Yeah, I just want the best for my kids. By me getting an education, to get a better, bigger job in the future, will hopefully set them up for their future. (GENTLE PIANO MUSIC) For the past year, Dru has struggled with Areka's eczema. Today, she's booked him in for an allergy test, to see if there's anything he's eating that is affecting his skin. I'm feeling pretty good about it, because at least I'll know what Areka's allergic to, so that we can deal with it in the best way possible for him. Hi, I'm Megan. This is Anne. We're the nurses on for today. Hello. I'm Dru and this is Areka. Do you wanna come and sit on Mummy's knee? So, we're just gonna do a little panel C today, which is a food panel. Let's have a look at these arms, buddy. Can I see? It can just be really exhausting, on top of a day of studying, coming back home and dealing with Areka, who's scratched his face to the point where he's just weeping and bleeding heaps. What's happening? What's happening? (CRIES) Nearly finished. Nearly finished. Good job. All good. (CRIES) I know. I know, darling. All finished. There's a 15-minute wait to see how Areka's skin has responded, and for the results. Ah. Come on. Let's see what that arm looks like, eh? Number one is... eight. Five... and 10. Perfect. Dru, here's a copy for you so that you can see what we've tested. Just shows that he's allergic to the cow's milk. Right, OK. All right. So, I just found out that Areka's allergic to dairy. Because a lot of our diet consists of dairy stuff, it'll be hard. But it's also a relief, because at least I know that his skin's gonna get better. Thanks, Dru. Bye, Areka. Bye. Bye. Bye. With a clear outcome, Dru can now see a path forward. But there's no clear outcome yet for Cierrah, who has been worried about Jonah's speech and behaviour. Today, we're at the McKenzie Centre, and we're just here to help Jonah with his learning. (GASPS) It's a big one. The specialist will observe him and see how he is. It's also about just his development in general, and how Jonah works. When I talk to him, he might not respond, but he's listening. Yeah. He's processing it in his brain. In weekly visits, Jonah can be observed over time. Yay, look at your snakes. Look at your snake you're making. So, we have a team. There's early intervention teachers, which is what I am. There's occupational therapists, there's speech language therapists, psychologists. So whatever the child or the family are needing, we can put those services in straight away. You can see he's really enjoying the feeling on his fingers of the playdough. Hopefully it won't be long before they can discover what's behind Jonah's delays. Danielle's time is so spread between house hunting, wrangling toddlers and studying that she's almost missed a crucial piece of information. I got an email this morning, saying, 'Congratulations Danielle, you've been...' And I thought it was for a house. (LAUGHS) So, this morning, I thought I got a house. I was like, 'Oh, yay,' and then I read it properly. It was like, 'You have been accepted into Wintec to study.' Cool! Yay! Yeah. Danielle's dream of becoming a nurse is one step closer, but she now has a deadline to complete all her work by the end of term. I leave here in two weeks, and I need to finish my last lot of assessments. I'm a bit excited, cos I'm ready for it. But then a bit sad, because my kids are close by. I'm ready for this big adventure. Across town, Dru is making up for time spent off with Areka's illness, as she works towards her tertiary degree. I am working on my first economics assessment. It's gotta be in by 4 o'clock today. Today, Dru's working to a double deadline. I'm just wondering, am I able to pick up Areka a bit later? OK, thank you. Bye. And there's also pressure to live up to some very high standards. Before I got pregnant, I felt like people had really high expectations of me. They had known me as quite a high achiever. It made it even harder when I fell pregnant. I felt like I always had that constant pressure on me. I had so much planned to do. I wanted to travel, I wanted to go work, I wanted to go hang out with my friends ` like, live my life. I got it in on time. Hopefully get a good mark from it, too. Dru has to hope that her grades will meet her high expectations. Hi, my baby! (YAWNS) Oh. Yeah, today was definitely a big day. But I'd do anything for him, so... (GENTLE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) There's no way to describe a mother's love for their child. Coming up ` Eva makes a decision to journey home. It brings back a lot of memories, and a lot of things that happened that I wish didn't. * (SOFT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) These mums come from different and sometimes challenging childhoods. But they're all experiencing the same enormous change from teen to parent. Part of our curriculum is well-being, because they're still finding themselves. As a teenager, you're still looking at, 'Who am I?' And then you become a mother or a parent. Their focus shifts from them to their child. Oh, she's sleeping too. Some people would say we're just playing games and doing, sort of, fun stuff. But the underlying purpose of it is to build those connections between people. Everyone comes from different circumstances, different family backgrounds. They can be dealing with lots of different issues. And so it's really important to support them to be strong, to be resilient, to overcome those barriers. You get a confidence when you've had to face real challenge in your life and overcome things. If we can change the life of that young mum, then you've started to change life for their children, as well. Are you ready? Yep. Ready? Go! Nice. Come on, Jonah. Let's get changed. When Cierrah started at He Puawai, she'd had a life far more complicated than most 15-year-olds. Should we go to Barnados? See your dad? See Dad? Jonah's father is permitted to see him on supervised visits. The last four times, he hasn't been able to make it. It's a situation reflected by Cierrah's own childhood. For me, it's a bit sad that Jonah has to go through this like I did, cos I used to go and see my mum at Barnados, and I was really, really sad and gutted when Mum wouldn't turn up. For a long time, Cierrah's father was absent from her childhood, and she lived apart from her mother, who struggled with addiction and mental health. When I was a child, I was really shy. I did feel a lot of things I shouldn't have felt. I always felt like I was a burden. I just didn't feel strong, I didn't feel` I felt forgotten, sometimes. I don't know. She's trying to repair her relationship with both parents, but Cierrah's troubled past still has a profound effect on her present. I don't think that I have a lot of self-confidence. Gonna have fun with Dad? Yes. Yes. I have a lot of mental and emotional things that I need to work on. Ah. Yep. Put this on. Every two weeks, Cierrah sees a counsellor at He Puawai. I'm just working very hard to give him a different upbringing. There are some things ` well, a lot of things ` that I definitely don't want him to experience. Take time to write down all the negative things that you have been told. Tell me about the first one. Um, if you keep doing that, CYFS will take you away. Yeah, that had` That sounds like a childhood memory. Yep. That rewired my whole brain. That made me believe that my parents were only looking after me just so that they wouldn't get in trouble. That's really scary. That is scary, for a little 6-year-old. Yeah, it's really negative and it sticks in my mind all the time, and that's why I'm really careful with Jonah. I wanna make sure that he feels genuinely loved. What've you got there? That I can't look after my son and I've ruined my education. So, this is another example of what someone close to you has said? Um, yes. It's really sad that most of the negative things that I've been told, that affect me, is mostly from my own family. Yeah, I think I've proven them wrong. That's the whole idea of being a mum, is you have the responsibility to keep your child safe and well ` not just safe physically and that, but mentally and emotionally as well. Well, you've come a really long way. So those things are not your truth. You can get rid of them now. Yes. Cierrah is astoundingly perceptive. She's a very emotionally intelligent young woman. She's had to be very strong, and every obstacle she overcomes, she just gets stronger and stronger. Can you say to yourself, 'I'm doing a really good job?' Yes, I believe I can. So, now we can let them go. I've been working on my inner strength. My mental strength as well. How to deal with situations. Not tolerating negativity, because to have a happy mum is to have a happy child. Bye! (LIGHT ACOUSTIC MUSIC) (CHILDREN CHATTER) I actually love it, them just being down the corridor. It's actually good. I'll probably miss them when I go. After three years, it's now Danielle's final day as a student at He Puawai. OK, let's start our last Friday of the term. Come on in, Danielle. Bring your eggs with you. Where am I gonna eat them? It's like my second home. I've grown close to a lot of the girls. Leaving them will be really sad. Drum roll for Danielle. (HANDS DRUM ON TABLE) There we go, congratulations. (APPLAUSE) Ooh, I get a nice chocolate. Thank you Danielle for, um, teaching me how to make eggs. Finally ready to make breakfast every morning. I know, you're making me well up. Just from where you have come, I'm super proud of you. Um... Don't do it. I have to stop. I'm gonna stop crying. Um, and... yeah. Just super proud. Eh? like mother proud. She's just a really amazing example of someone that has really overcome life's barriers to keep going with her education, and she's had to fight for it. So, for you Danielle, celebrate every victory. TEARFULLY: I want you to keep this with you, and always have it` I'm doing it again. It's terrible. If it wasn't for Lee, I wouldn't be where I am. She is... She's... I can't explain it, but she has done so much for me. She has helped me in so many ways. Always keep that with you. So, good luck. He Puawai has given me confidence, motivation, a second chance at learning. Danielle has earned her qualification to start her nursing degree. But she's also learned how to move forward through life as a young mother. That's where we step back, and she steps up. You better text me back. We wanna have graduates that are confident within themselves to go out on their own. I want them to be ready to go, 'See you later, Lee. We're done.' * It's nearing the end of the school year. For those who have left He Puawai for tertiary studies, there's been a round of assessments and exams. For Dru, there's added pressure to succeed. Hi, big boy! Her mum not only completed a similar degree,... Baker's man, bake me... ...but did it with baby Dru on her hip. Nine, 10, let's do it again! Yeah! Following in my mum's footsteps has always been hard for me. I feel like I've had to live up to reaching those really high standards that she set for me. There's been an anxious wait for results. It's nerve-racking. (LAUGHS) Um,... we got two A++s. A lot of my assignments I did on the day they were due, and I've got my best results from them. So, yeah. (LAUGHS) Come on, guys. Let's go. Danielle has started her nursing degree but is still in the motel and coping with trying to study with two young boys in the same room. Today I have my first science exam. Um, this is one of the main exams to determine whether you get into the next semester or not. Eat your breakfast, son, or I'm turning the TV off. I'm a bit nervous. Every time I study, my brain hurts. All those new words is just like, wow. Come on. Let's go, guys. Let's go. Bye. For someone who left school at 13, the road to higher education's been a steep one. Three years ago, I never thought I'd be sitting a tertiary exam. I never thought I'd be doing any of this. But here I am. You guys ready for the test today? Before, I was all negative. 'I'm not doing that. I can't do that. That's too hard.' That's how I was thinking. Now I'm like, 'Yep, I'll give that a go. I can do that. I'm gonna finish that.' So that's the difference I see. (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION) If you remember that ISM and ECL are` I'm nervous. Nearly crying. The work is, like, way different to He Puawai. It's like big, adult work. (LAUGHS) It's full on. Today Eva won't be facing an academic challenge but a personal one. Are you ready for the big day today? You gonna go meet all your whanau? Eva's had her heart set on creating a new family, but has been reluctant to reconnect with her old home and whanau, until now. Growing up in Mangakino was like,... kind of, you're just affiliated with gangs. (HAUNTING MUSIC) It brings back a lot of memories, and a lot of things that happened that I wish didn't. It's the first time she's been back to Mangakino after a difficult childhood. I used to get bullied ` cornered, beat up, for no reason at all, just for being my dad's kid. And then I'd be forced to go and fight them. That's the reason I don't like it here, is because I was forced to be someone I wasn't. I haven't been here for five years. Last time I was here, my heart got broken. Um, my grandfather died. (HAUNTING MUSIC CONTINUES) He was my happy place. He was my safe haven. He made me enjoy being a kid. When he died, I lost myself. Since that day, I hadn't come back. # Nau mai. # Haere mai. # Nau mai. This whanau gathering is an opportunity to introduce Aria Marie. Hi, sweety. Wow. It makes my heart just explode, eh? Just didn't think everyone would react like that. It's for Aria. Aria. Tena koe. I dunno, they wanna hold her, wanna cuddle her. I didn't think I was gonna come back. I told myself I wasn't gonna come back. But we all grow up. (LAUGHS) You see how loud it is? Yep. This is what I love. I love the loudness and the laughing. Cos you don't hear anyone laugh like we do, and that's what I miss, you know. Becoming a parent has helped Eva make peace with a past that doesn't have to define her future. Whether I like it or not, this is my home. My parenting's a lot different to my parents' parenting, eh. Having my own family now, I do get to create the rules. (INSPIRING PIANO MUSIC) PA: Morena, Fraser. Today is the last day of the year. It's graduation day. It's come to the end of the high school year at He Puawai, which means celebrating the year's hard work, and for some students, saying goodbye. The end of the year is really massive. We've got some of our students graduating from Fraser, up at the main school prize-giving. So we celebrate. Celebrating the successes, we celebrate our babies, we celebrate motherhood. Today, Eva has made it in. Oh look, there's Eva! And past students Dru and Danielle have come to show support. Hi, bubby! Mwah! What I love about our Teen Parent Unit is the name, He Puawai, which means to blossom and grow. We're a place where anyone can come in, regardless of background or situation, and come in and find some success as a learner. Today, Cierrah is graduating on the Fraser main stage. I'm feeling very excited. Bit nervous, but I'm very happy and proud to go up and graduate with Jonah. She's had a challenging year, including a recent diagnosis that explains Jonah's behaviour. Jonah has been diagnosed with autism. People think, 'Oh no, that's horrible,' or something like that. But actually it's just their way of learning, and that's Jonah's way of learning. Finding that out helped me realise some things ` you know, why he does certain things. And it actually shows me more ways where I can actually help him. After two years, the time has come for Cierrah to leave He Puawai. But she's struggled to decide what to do after she leaves the security of the unit. Leaving He Puawai is really big for me, cos I've been there for such a long time. This is my safe place where I can juggle all things, but with amazing support. (WHINES) We're gonna see Nana soon. Today, support for Cierrah is coming from another significant place. My mum, my dad, Nana, my cousin, and my brother are coming. We'll see you in there, eh? Mm-hm. I'm very happy to have both of my parents in my life. It's a blessing, and Jonah loves them. (INSPIRING PIANO MUSIC) (WOMAN SINGS KARANGA) For Cierrah, graduating today with Jonah is proof of all her perseverance since arriving at He Puawai as a quiet 15-year-old. When I was pregnant, everyone thought that I ruined my life. But I'm actually really proud of myself. I proved all those people wrong, and I've actually achieved a lot. ANNOUNCER: Tia Te Moko ` Graduation certificate. (APPLAUSE) Chantelle Te Repo ` Graduation certificate. (APPLAUSE) Cierrah Puke ` Graduation certificate. (APPLAUSE, CHEERS) She deserves her success, and nobody can say... that she earned it except her. And so that's` Oh, I'm just proud. Cos I know where she came from. I know, but where she's going is a totally different place. My end goal is to do what my best friend has done ` walk across the stage with my daughter in my arms and just say, 'I did it.' Just seeing the pride that they have in themselves, um, and knowing they've achieved that, absolutely. They know that they can go to the next step. You're right in the middle, Lee. He Puawai has made me... the woman/mother I am today. Um, it has... made me blossom. That's the word. Blossom. (POIGNANT PIANO MUSIC) Captioned by Sally Harper. Edited by James Brown. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020