Online exclusive
They are environmentalists and social justice advocates; they champion indigenous languages, play country music, create art, dance and write poetry; they campaign for LGBTQIA+ and disability rights; they hold down jobs in engineering, teaching, medicine, journalism and finance, or are studying law, politics and environmental science.
What’s more, they are 25 years and under, doing incredible things for their communities and the world. In short, they are tomorrow.
Last night, their contributions and determination to make the world a better place were recognised at the annual YWCA Y25. Now in its fifth year, Y25 celebrates wāhine and tāhine (gender non-binary) who are trailblazers.
Many have faced challenges but rather than giving up or dropping out, they’ve shown tenacity and perseverance.
From more than 100 nominations, the final 25 were selected for their vision, leadership and impact – whether far-reaching or community focused – and will now take part in a six-month wraparound programme with tailored support to help them succeed even further.
Genna Hawkins-Boulton (Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Ruahine) Associate YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau & Y25 Programme lead says they show the different ways you can succeed in Aotearoa.
“You can’t help but feel like our future is in good hands.”
Older people are sometimes asked to write to their 16-year-old selves, providing “life lessons” and sharing the things they wish they’d known when they were young. But how do these wāhine and tāhine imagine their future in a world threatened by war, climate change, and the rise of authoritarian regimes?
Here, four of them share writing to their 50-year-old selves about their hopes and aspirations.
Eda Tang: Journalist, NZ Chinese heritage advocate from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland aged 25 (she/her)
Dear Eda,
There’s a lot that I want for you. I want public transport to be free, I want DIE (diversity, inclusion and equity) initiatives to be retro, I want universal design, I want bilingualism to be normal in Aotearoa, I want the ageing population to be cared for, I want to swim in rivers - the list goes on. But given how much I’ve evolved in the last 25 years, I’m sure your specific wants will have probably evolved too. If we zoom out, here’s what I see for you:
As a child of migrants, you know stability doesn’t come easily and the work to achieve this happens invisibly and incrementally. But the honest work continues, and seeds planted 25 years ago have fruited. The aspiration for ‘a better life’ is available for people whose homes are no longer viable. The world is stable – environmentally, politically, and economically – but not complacent.
Life continues to energise you. You can still exercise hope and care about something beyond putting food on the table and having a roof over your head. You work because you love it, not because you have to. You’re wealthy in relationships, in joy and in energy. This abundance is available to anyone who wants it.
Sharing wisdom – Eda’s advice: “There’s enough space for all of us.”
Tara Shepherd: Environmental & disability champion from Kawatiri/Westport aged 22 (she/her)
To my 50-year-old self,
Look at what has happened in your lifetime. The hope you had at 22 was not wasted. We have a universally accessible society, from inclusive education and healthcare to transport. We live in a world where sustainable practice is at the forefront of development and where local communities are supported and well-equipped for environmental challenges. We see more rural wāhine on the national and global stage, championing the vulnerabilities their communities face, a celebration of intersectionality. Assistive technology in education is easier to gain access to and disabled tauira are seen as empowered to chase their dreams.
Your life has been full of many sunsets, beach walks, and overall joy watching the new leaders rise and carry the baton for the important mahi. Your life has been full of love and sisterhood that the Y25 amplified across alumni. You can rest because we, as a collective, have used people’s power to champion key issues, and our solutions are implemented in policy.
Volunteerism is no longer fantasised about, and your hard work has been compensated fairly, not tokenistically. You live in a world of vibrance, solutions, and love. In times of uncertainty, you drew comfort from this, you trusted the leaders to come. And they did. You have learned again and again that anger + connection = hope. You have hoped and you have lived.
Sharing wisdom - Tara’s advice: “The places you have the most challenges are the places you have the most to give.”
Rosa Hibbert-Schooner: Te Ao Māori advocate & unhoused rangatahi kaiarataki from Te Whanaganui a Tara/ Wellington aged 23 (she/her)
Big dreams but colonialism got me down - writing to my 50-year-old self
I wish I could make a world where it’s just me and my mates and my whānau and their whānau.
We’d live off the land, together in hand
We’d touch soil every day
We’d share food often
We’d bask in Tama nui te ra, rangi on display
We’d sing songs every week and celebrate everything
We’d be there in hard times; we’d forgive and kept growing
Community can transform each other if we allow ourselves to dream it and make it
I can’t be naïve and forget the colonial barriers put in place to prevent us from taking it
And by it I mean our tikanga, pūrākau and fully realising what it means to be living it
But we know what we need, and I say this is my calling
To build community and to never believe it too distant to be achieved
We don’t know till we try, and we won’t try if we don’t listen
To the quiet whispers of our tipuna
The loud noise of capitalism spoken by the coloniser can at times try to drown them out. But they are always there. Waiting to call you home or best yet, to your next adventure
I hope you live in the garden your children grew up in. I hope you speak our native tongue and you use native hands to reclaim your sovereignty. I will keep planting the seeds of the garden though time may not allow me to fully eat from it. I hope you eat from it, the hua. Standing side by side with my future, your reality.
Sharing wisdom – Rosa’s advice: “Be unapologetic in your pursuit of you. Unleash your inner atua. Return to your ancestral lands and walk where your tipuna walked. Our taiao and atua hold the answers, listen and listen well.”
Kayla Fatima Schwalger: Mental health & Pacific youth changemaker from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland aged 22 (she/her)
Dear 50-year-old Kayla,
This week you turn 23, too busy to celebrate as your Master’s thesis is due in a few days. You can hear your little sisters singing loudly, your brothers play-fighting and your dog barking. I picture you sitting in your own house, drinking peppermint tea and reminiscing about this moment, your childhood home never having a quiet moment. How blessed am I to be surrounded by the arms that have raised me and the ones I have helped to raise myself. I hope you remember the duality of being a young Samoan girl.
In my 20s, I’ve learned that you never encounter the same version of yourself twice. I change so much in a month that it’s impossible to assume you’ll desire the same things I do now. However, I hope that along the way, you’ve learned more about healing from trauma and breaking the cycles you’ve witnessed. I hope you’ve mastered the art of forgiveness and continue to radiate alofa (love) and practice tautua (service). I hope the learnings from your ancestors and aiga (family) have echoed through all you’ve done and continue to do.
I envision the world you are in is one where the oceans are healing, Indigenous knowledge is prospering, and the future Pasifika youth utilise their cultures as a superpower. I am so blessed to be alive through the highs and the lows – I cannot wait for the journey to this future.
Alofa atu,
Kayla
Sharing wisdom – Kayla’s advice: “Take risks and leaps of faith even when you feel nervous. Taking chances can lead you to unexpected destinations and spaces made exactly for you.”
