He Ngākau Nui ki Tō Mātou Rōpū Rangatahi — A Heart Full of Gratitude for Our Youth Team

As we come to the end of another big, challenging year, I want to take a moment to acknowledge, honour, and celebrate our incredible Youth Team at Te Hono o Ngā Waka.

You are the heartbeat of so much of our mahi. You walk alongside some of the most vulnerable rangatahi of Te Tai o Poutini, the ones who are often misunderstood, pushed out, judged, or forgotten by the systems that were meant to serve them. Our youth who face discrimination, who have no mahi, who are navigating neurodiversity, unwellness, trauma, and lives with limited or no supports.

And let’s be clear, it’s not that our rangatahi don’t fit into the schooling system. It’s that the system has not adapted, shifted, or transformed to include them, uplift them, or respond to their needs. These are tamariki and rangatahi that the system didn’t serve at all, and still, you continue to show them that they matter, that they belong, and that they are absolutely worth investing in.

This mahi is not light work, but you carry it with such grace.

This year has been another tough one. We welcomed two new kaimahi into the rōpū, and even in the middle of huge learning curves, they jumped in with courage and heart. And to our Team Leader, after the most horrendous health year anyone could imagine, you still led with strength, humility, and fierce dedication. Most people can’t even comprehend what you have gone through, yet you continued to guide the team, support our rangatahi, and uphold the mana of this kaupapa. That’s leadership. That’s love. That’s purpose.

To each of you:
Your resilience is inspiring.
Your aroha is powerful.
Your mahi is changing lives, even on the days it feels invisible.

I see you.
Our community sees you.
Our rangatahi feel you walking beside them, even when they can’t always say it.

Thank you for every long day, every late-night message or tabletop gaming, every crisis attended, every ride given, every kōrero held, every laugh, every tear, and every bit of magic you bring into the lives of our young people.

Keep shining.
Keep doing what you do.
Because what you do matters more than you’ll ever know.

Ngā mihi nunui — forever grateful for you, Team Rangatahi.