Ms Manu is a proud Cook Islander; on her maternal side she is from Ivirua Mangaia, Titikaveka Rarotonga and Ngatiarau Mauke. On her paternal side, she is from Ta’utu, Aitutaki, Tupapa Rarotonga and Atiu.  

When speaking on her decision to pursue nursing, Ms Manu says she was determined to advocate for Pacific peoples and contribute towards a more culturally appropriate healthcare system - this following her grandmother’s experience with the healthcare system when diagnosed with kidney failure.  

“I chose nursing after my nana was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2014. I was only 18 years old attending outpatient appointments with her. I watched her navigate the healthcare system with the limited English that she had. This was when I was exposed to flaws in the healthcare system that I determined as inequitable for successful health outcomes, not only for my nana, but for Pacific people in general.  

“I chose nursing to help reduce these disparities by becoming an advocate for our people and implementing an approach that sees fit for our Pacific people in hopes to achieve greater outcomes in all aspects of that persons well-being.” 

Ms Manu also acknowledges her grandparents as her biggest influence. 

“My biggest influence in my journey are my grandparents. I've had the privilege of being raised by both sets of grandparents who were not only present, but active throughout my upbringing and still are to this day. My grandparents envisioned a future for me which manifested into the life that I live today.  

“From a young age, they empowered me, prayed over me and instilled the values of hard work and humility in me. They believed in me when nobody else did and for that I will always credit my success back to them.” 

Ms Manu is currently studying part time towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice at AUT. She was also a recipient of PMA’s Christina Atoa Tapu Nursing Scholarship in 2022 and is grateful for the reminder it provided around why she chose nursing, following the passing of her grandmother. 

“The PMA scholarship not only helped alleviate the financial burden that I was facing at the time, but it also reaffirmed my space in the nursing field. After the passing of my nana two months prior, I lost motivation to continue on. I found it hard navigating grief and the stress that came with completing my final semester.  

“Despite that, winning the scholarship served as a reminder as to why I started in the first place, reinforcing that all the hard work, blood, sweat and tears was all worth it. The funds also contributed to course fees and stationery for my post grad, ensuring that I was well equipped and prepared to continue further study.” 

Now working as a Primary Health Care Nurse for Pasefika Family Health Group (PFHG), Ms Manu hopes to see a more equitable healthcare system in years to come. 

“My aspiration for Pacific health sees a health system that provides the same equitable access to primary, secondary and tertiary services for Pacific people as their non-Pacific counterparts; a system that seeks influence from Pacific health models to reduce health disparities from a Pacific lens. 

“I envision a system that empowers our people of locus control in order to gain more independence and management of their health through advocacy, health literature and the use of ethnic- specific approaches.”