Mya is a confident, articulate and passionate 17 year old, currently a final year student at Verdon College in Invercargill. She’s on a mission to help her people connect back to their roots, especially young people like herself and for them to become positive contributors to society, both now and in the future. 

Mya is a tuakana at Rangatahi Tumeke, an organisation supported by Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation who run a program developed especially for young people to help them reconnect to their Māori culture, self-identity and the environment.

Rather than her age being a disadvantage, Mya finds it helps her better connect with the rangatahi of her community as they find they can easily relate to her. 

“A lot of our young people feel comfortable speaking to me about their concerns as I’m the one that gets through to the people that are older than us. And I’m trying to encourage everyone to step forward and speak with me,” Mya says. “It’s about bringing everyone along together on this journey.” 

Rangatahi Tumeke run camps for rangatahi and all who attend are fully funded, this way there are no barriers for any whānau. During the camps, young people are welcomed onto Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff and then taken on a journey in the Caitlins for five days of outdoor pursuits. 

“It’s so good to have the support of Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation, it gives us a lot of drive knowing we have such a platform behind us. It’s given me confidence, determination and a willingness to overcome any hurdle,” says Mya.