Te Kauwhata College students are getting a firsthand experience of leadership by having a say in how New Zealand’s health system works, and what it means for whānau Māori now and in the future.
There’s a reason this mahi matters. Māori experience significant health inequities, including higher mortality rates and a life expectancy around seven years shorter than non-Māori.
Rangatahi Māori also report higher levels of psychological distress, while deprivation, structural disadvantage and barriers to accessing healthcare can make it harder to get support when it is needed.
Cost is one of those barriers. A 2024 study found that 22% of Māori reported cost as a barrier to accessing healthcare, compared with 13% of non-Māori. This prompted the creation of the Kia Tū Rangatahi Māori Hauora Leadership Programme.
Developed in partnership with Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board, it’s now underway at seven secondary schools in the rohe: Te Kauwhata College, Putāruru College, Ōtorohanga College, Tai Wānanga Ki Ruakura, Te Kopuku High School, Tokoroa High School and Te Kūiti High School.
The wānanga is about putting rangatahi at the centre. It gives them the knowledge, confidence and leadership skills to shape conversations around mental health and suicide prevention, vaccination, dental care, vaping and smoking, while creating space for their whakaaro to be heard and strengthening their connection to culture, identity and each other.
“Too many rangatahi, particularly those living in rural communities, face barriers to the hauora support and opportunities they need to thrive. This next generation are powerful influencers within their whānau, schools and communities,” says Brandi Hudson, Te Tiratū Tumu Whakarae.
“When we equip them with the confidence, knowledge and leadership skills to make positive choices for themselves and others, the impact extends far beyond the individual. What we invest in rangatahi today can shape healthier communities and stronger leaders for a lifetime.”
At Te Kauwhata College, that meant giving rangatahi genuine opportunities to lead.
Before the wānanga began, Kia Tū sat down with the college leadership team, including Acting Principal Sangita Achary, Acting Deputy Principal Whitney Williams-Totorewa, Brad Totorewa and Leitia Preston from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Naho, to share their aspirations for the programme.
The meeting took place at Rangiriri Pā, a site deeply connected to the Waikato War of 1863. The setting reflected the importance everyone placed on supporting this Kaupapa grounded in place, history, identity and the oranga of rangatahi.
Years 11 and 12 challenged themselves to step outside their comfort zones, building confidence through public speaking and learning to use their voices with greater impact.
The Year 13 tauira took leadership a step further, helping shape a ‘Te Kauwhata Leadership Excellence Hui’ and planning an upcoming Leadership Day for the wider school.
Rangatahi also had the freedom to explore the issues and ideas that mattered to them, expressing their whakaaro through video, spoken word, art, waiata and interviews.
They were not simply learning about hauora. They were finding their voices, testing their ideas, listening to one another and beginning to see themselves as people who can influence what happens around them.
The programme is now expanding beyond Te Kauwhata College to schools across the Waikato, including Te Kūiti, Putāruru and Kirikiriroa.
Classrooms can only do so much. Kia Tū gives rangatahi an opportunity to understand the health issues affecting their whānau and communities, have their voices heard, and develop the leadership skills to help shape what comes next.