Meet Josh
Josh Hohua
Co-Founder, Piki Te Hauora
Ko Karioi tōku maunga
Ko Kawhia tōku moana
Ko Tainui tōku waka
Ko Ngati Maniapoto raua ko Ngati Raukawa ōku iwi
Ko Ngati Hikairo tōku hapū
Ko Waipa tōku awa
Ko Waipapa tōku Marae
Ko Joshua Hohua tōku ingoa
Nei rā te mihi atu ki a Koutou Katoa, I am one of the Kaiwhakahaere/creators of Piki Te Hauora. My role as one of the founders of Piki Te Hauora is ākonga support/admin/social media/pre-course engagement/enrolment officer/Jack of all trades lol. I am responsible for encouraging you to take the first step into reclaiming your identity as Māori and supporting you to feel comfortable with your decision to enroll with Piki Te Hauora.
I left Kura at the age of 15 years old and like many of our people I was drawn to a lifestyle that was pre-determined for me via external influences. I had a tendency toward violence and substances from a young age which only amplified the anxieties I had around not fitting in. For a long time, I felt like I was living in a world where I was either too Māori or too pākeha to fit in any particular social group.
I had very little connection to Te Ao Māori and the only connection I had to our reo was at a little country high school on the outskirts of Otautahi/Christchurch.
I was a great talker but a terrible listener (Te Rangi will probably tell you that not much has changed). I struggled to engage in school and at that time in my life believed it was due to unintelligence. I wasn’t able to comprehend that my inability to learn was due to the way education is/was being delivered in mainstream schooling.
When I left high school I weighed in at 120kgs and by the time it was 19 years of age I was pushing the 150kg mark. To cut a long story short, the responsibility of fatherhood (now have 6 tamariki) changed my entire mindset and I have been on a journey of self-improvement & growth ever since.
I have since worked as a soldier in the NZ Army, NZ Corrections officer, Foster Care Case Worker, Support Worker, Youth & disability mentor, counselor, and as a personal trainer. Within these roles, I found that I actually wasn’t lacking intelligence at all but that I just learn in a different way, hence why I have such a passion for alternative education and providing flexible learning opportunities for our people through this life-changing waka that is Piki Te Hauora.
Piki Te Hauora was born purely out of our passion to guide and coach other Māori to seek out the best version of themselves. As we started working with more of our people here in Australia to help build stronger & braver individuals we recognised that the biggest issue our people were facing was the disconnect from Te Ao Māori/Te Reo Māori.
So here we are whānau! Reconnecting/connecting and offering you an opportunity to discover yourself as Māori in a safe, non-judgmental environment that encourages you to be an individual while being a part of the Piki Te Hauora whānau.
I look forward to at least meet you all virtually, learning about your personal hīkoi so far, and of course, sharing more of mine with you.
Kia kaha, Kia maia, Kia manawanui
Mauri ora!
Josh