Turangi rangatahi and supporting adults who were inspired to create the video clip Hurt People.
Turangi rangatahi and supporting adults who were inspired to create the video clip Hurt People.
'Like a river flows, let your worries go'.
Those are the catchy lyrics to a song composed by Tūrangi rangatahi during the last school holidays while attending a Tūwharetoa Health programme.
The group made a video and entered the song in the E Tū Whānau Song Competition, a competition forwriting a song that inspires positive change.
Tūwharetoa Health whānau engagement manager Bella Moke says the health programme came about because Lakes District Health Board was keen to address youth mental health and smoking cessation in Tūrangi, but were concerned that the messaging in the youth community was not effective. In addition the Ministry of Social Development were keen for local rangatahi to be involved in meaningful activities during the school holidays.
As a result local health and social service provider Tūwharetoa Health Charitable Trust were engaged to come up with ideas that could work for the young ones.
Multiple agencies had an input, including NZ Police, REAL, Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Pikiao Trust, Arc Counselling Services, Tūrangi Rangatahi At Risk Team, Tongariro School, Anamata Cafe, Pukawa Marae, and Sport Waikato.
This led to an invitation to Tūrangi rangatahi during the last school holidays to attend a two-day programme to explore getting messages across to their peers. Facilitated by Meihana Mackey from the band 1814, the group came up with their own language and expressions to cover the concepts of mental health and smoking cessation.
Joining together in a circle to demonstrate fun, the importance of being together, and resilience for the video clip Hurt People.
Over the two days these ideas were turned into a song, produced on video by Wiremu Tiopira and uploaded to YouTube by Bella Moke under the title
Hurt People
. The song is filled with messages about resilience, making good decisions and being strong. It also places a strong connection between Tūrangi rangatahi and drawing hope from the Tongariro River.
Bella says the young musical writers and composers were very happy and excited with what they produced and the experience was also amazing for the adults from the various agencies who were there to support the kaupapa.
You can vote for Hurt People through the Facebook page E Tū Whānau (the link is dated May 30). Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday, June 24.
