Waipā District Mayor calls for next young Māori leader to join Tuia programme

Waipā District Mayor Susan O'Regan and Maude Rewha.

Waipā District Mayor Susan O’Regan is inviting aspiring young Māori leaders to apply for a chance to join the 2024 national Tuia Programme.

The programme was designed to build leadership skills and is part of the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and involved mentoring from O’Regan.

Last year O’Regan mentored Te Awamutu’s Maude Rewha and she could not wait to see who was selected for 2024.

“Maude has come a long way. She’s grown from a quietly-talented young person to someone who shares her views with confidence and a listening ear and who is always willing to learn more,” O’Regan said.

Candidates between 18 and 25 years old who could attend monthly meetings, both formal and informal, were invited to apply. Wānanga (learning conferences) would be held at different marae with other young people from around the country.

The 2024 recipient must be available for the first wananga at Te Kuiti Pā from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3, 2024.

“Anyone can be eligible to join this programme. Often, it can be the quietest young person who will develop in leaps and bounds through a programme like this,” O’Regan said.

“It’s also not just about helping develop leaders, there is a huge focus on building culture. The aim is to instil mana for years to come.”

Aspiring applicants should email susan.oregan@waipadc.govt.nz. Expressions of interest must be received no later than Monday, January 22, and should include name, contact details and age, plus an insight into the candidate’s schooling history, community activities or passions, sporting or cultural involvement, plans for the future, and most importantly why they want to be involved and what they want to achieve.

“I’m looking forward to fostering the next generation of leaders during this year’s Tuia programme,” O’Regan said.

For more information, visit mtfj.co.nz/our-work/tuia-and-mtfj-rangatahi

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