Iesha Teiho (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine) and Nick Taukiri (Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto) are two of many aspiring barbers that pass through the Cut Above Academy. They are currently working at a "pop-up shop" in Manukau, providing fresh fades, at no cost.
For Teiho, who just graduated yesterday, she has taken the idea of free haircuts and paid it forward to her community.
"I started koha cuts, where I take a couple of the boys with me and go and do free cuts for a couple of hours in the community out in Manurewa, every Tuesday.
"I also wanna break the stigma about the male-dominated place and being able to give that service no matter who you are talking to or who you're doing and getting on the same level."
Cut above has been in operation for 50 years. The 32-week course is available for anybody wanting to pursue this line of work, and rangatahi aged 16-19, they can receive their qualification cost-free also.
Nick Taukiriri and Iesha Teiho from the Cut Above Academy. Source: File
Kelli Kemara, a member of the executive management team for the academy, says that their course differs from other hairdressing schools, because of the values they instill in their, mostly Māori/Pacific Island students.
"We try and build a culture around kotahitanga and whakawhanaungatanga, so that our students get a sense of belonging. We feel that really empowers them to go out into the real world to be work-ready, and to take those skills into the environment where they are really productive in the community.
"We are very focused on placing our graduates into employment to really help them to move past that initial barrier that many of our rangatahi find very daunting."