Growing up, we all hear how important our education is. Or do we?
For many tamariki and rangatahi, the message that education is important is something that gets reinforced with support and encouragement. For some, this just isn’t the case. There are a variety of reasons that this basic part of growing up isn’t present, but the end result is often the same – a young person that lacks vision for their own future, and an inability to see their own talents and abilities.
I met Anna some time ago now. She was one of my original ‘Dreamers’ in my role as ‘Navigator’. You can find out more about my background in my ‘about’ page (click here to see that).
Anna’s testimonial is really powerful, and it gives a good insight into what can be achieved with our young people, when the right support network is put in place. Navigating life isn’t always easy, but when we have someone who can help us steady our waka, and focus on our roadmap for our future, the waters seem so much smoother.
Here’s what Anna has to say about her experiences with me as her support person:
“Ant seemed like the only person that cared about my education and my future. While I was giving up on my dreams he was encouraging me to push through my hard times. He stuck by my side, at times I thought it was too good to be true, an adult giving a damn about my education. He gave me that sense of belonging, which gave me the push towards finishing school and moving on with my life and creating a better future for myself.
Through my journey if I didn’t have anyone like Ant encouraging me and pushing me I wouldn’t be standing here…I probably would have dropped out of school and been part of the statistics of PI teenagers on the benefit with no job. But just having that one adult in my life that showed interest in my school work, stood by me and never gave up on me, it made a huge difference on my life. He showed me a brighter side of life and dared me to Dream big.”
The Ngāwai journey is just beginning, but it is a branch of a journey I have been travelling for a long time now – a journey that see’s me walking alongside our tamariki and rangatahi, helping them steer their waka in the right direction.
You can find out more about me by clicking here, and you can also read more about our programmes by clicking here.