Voices of our rangatahi

Whakarongo ki te Reo Mātātahi. Writing and artwork from the young people of Glen Innes.

Project Manager at Te Hononga Akoranga COMET, Dr Will Flavell is passionate about ensuring there is support for educational and employment opportunities for local rangatahi.

Dr Flavell has worked with year 7 and 8 students at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Puau Te Moana Nui a Kiwa and Glen Innes School to create a book to highlight issues that are important to the tamariki and their whānau.

The stories cover a wide range of subjects and real-life experiences such as the environment, racism, bullying, discrimination, COVID-19 effects, the future of te reo Māori and the allocation of resources to communities.

“The idea is that we use this book to elevate their voices,” says Dr Will Flavell. “Our tamariki should play an essential role in contributing to issues that affect them. They are creative, eager, and bright, and their voices matter. We need to continue to provide the skills and platform to allow them to speak for themselves, to build confidence with encouragement wherever possible.”

TRC provided funding support for the initiative and will be sharing the talents of local rangatahi in the form of poems, creative writing, and art pieces in future issues of Mai Tāmaki, beginning with the excerpts below taken from the
COMET book.

Watch this space for future writers, authors and artists from Tāmaki! To view the online book, click here