Otara Youth Hub at the Japan Youth Summit. Photo: Supplied / Otara Youth Hub
A youth hub in Ōtara is empowering rangatahi Māori and Pasifika by taking them around the world.
The Ōtara Youth Hub is the first in Aotearoa to set up an initiative dedicated to Explore, Traveller and Leadership (ELT) - a programme which helps young people travel the world.
The group have recently returned home from Asia after attending the Japan Youth Summit 2024, the theme of which was pioneering innovation for sustainable futures.
The four-day event covered topics like education, health technology, economic growth, and sustainable cities. It highlighted the importance of collaboration among young people for a better future.
The rangatahi coordinated with peers across different countries and time zones and prepared presentations for the summit. Two of them won awards for their social innovation ideas and presentations.
Swanie Nelson, who helped establish the Youth Hub said, "It was a proud and memorable moment of this trip".
Nelson said she supports the programme to help get rangatahi out of Ōtara, South Auckland to spread their horizons.
The trip was designed to broaden rangatahi views on education and encourage critical thinking.
They managed to raise $16,000 towards their trip by selling special one-off Tino Rangatiratanga dresses and the Ōtara-Papatoetoe local board funded their return airfares home.
Twelve rangatahi, aged 15 to 26, were chosen for the trip because of their involvement in Ōtara Youth Hub projects. This was the smallest group they had taken on such a trip.
Photo: Supplied / Otara Youth Hub
Elizabeth Salesa, an Ōtara Ambassador with the Ola Squad Collective (Ōtara Leadership Army), went to the summit
This summit, organized by the Youth Break the Boundaries Foundation, focused on tackling future challenges through sustainable development goals.
Salesa believes the summit was not just about addressing global issues but also about connecting with like-minded youth from around world.
She said the cultural differences were evident, especially the language barrier, but praised the warmth and friendliness of the Japanese people toward tourists.
The most memorable aspect of her trip was the chance to meet other passionate young individuals from around the world and to deeply engage with Japanese culture, an experience she said she would cherish forever.
Next year another group will travel to Istanbul, Turkey.
