Young, community-minded, ambitious and Māori – sound like someone you know?
The national Tuia Leadership Programme is about to kick off for 2025, and Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan is seeking the next rangatahi [young person] to take part on behalf of the district.
Tuia aims to build leadership in young Māori using a long-term approach, with mayors around the country providing one-on-one mentorship. The programme was developed from the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs, and has achieved some outstanding success.
Encouraging a stronger youth voice to be heard at Council is a key priority for O’Regan, and she says working with rangatahi through the Tuia programme is one of the absolute highlights of each year in her role as mayor.
“Sometimes the young people involved are already quite established in their leadership skills, and sometimes they are quieter and more reserved but develop in leaps and bounds as their confidence grows. Either way, it’s a humbling and rewarding experience – and it goes both ways, because I learn so much about what they are facing, the intergenerational issues and experiences.”
Last year, O’Regan was thrilled to work with Taane Aruka Te Aho (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura). “He is a simply outstanding young man who is well on his way to becoming one of the next generation of Māori leaders,” she says.
In October, Te Aho graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in te reo Māori and Māori and indigenous studies. He is now, among other commitments, capturing the work of his iwi locally in relation to food gardens and freshwater taonga species, and is involved in a longfin tuna [eel] trap and transfer programme at Kārapiro.
To be considered for Tuia, candidates must be aged between 18 and 25, actively involved in their communities, and be available to attend monthly meetings as well as wānanga (learning forums) at marae around the country where they will connect and network with other rangatahi, including previous Tuia graduates.
Aspiring applicants should email susan.oregan@waipadc.govt.nz no later than Tuesday 28 January. Please include an insight into the candidate’s schooling history, community activities or passions, sporting or cultural involvement, plans for the future, and most importantly why they want to be involved and what they want to achieve.
For more information, see the Tuia programme website www.mtfj.co.nz/our-work/tuia-and-mtfj-rangatahi/
