Login
Written by:

Funding from Grant for Good has allowed crucial work in reshaping how young Māori leaders develop and thrive.

When Kahukura Ritchie (Ngāti Kahukuraawhitia, Ngāti Moe, Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitāne ki Wairarapa) attended his first BGI information evening, he had a powerful realisation: “I saw just how helpful a mentor would have been for my younger self”. This moment of clarity sparked the creation of something extraordinary: the Tuakana Wānanga, a marae-based leadership development programme that’s transforming the lives of young Māori across Wellington and beyond.

BGI, a youth development organisation with roots stretching back to 1883, has always been guided by a simple but powerful principle: listening to young people and letting them lead. Under Kahukura’s guidance as Kaiārahi Māori Development Team Lead, they’ve taken this philosophy to new heights with their innovative approach to rangatahi Māori development.

The Tuakana Wānanga emerged from a clear need within BGI’s existing Kura Wānanga programme. While they were witnessing transformational impacts on teina (younger participants), Kahukura recognised that the tuakana – the senior youth mentors aged 18-25 – needed their own dedicated space for growth and development.

“Many tuakana have graduated from the programme as teina themselves and are now stepping into leadership roles,” explains Kahukura. .

The wānanga provides a crucial transition pathway, enabling these young leaders to give back from a place of strength and sustainability.

Grounded in te ao Māori frameworks and guided by the three baskets of knowledge (ngā kete o te wānanga), the programme takes participants on a journey through marae across Te Whanganui-a-Tara and the lower North Island. This isn’t just leadership training; it’s about strengthening cultural identity, deepening connections to whakapapa and building transformational experiences that create lasting change.

The results speak for themselves. Participants describe profound personal and professional growth that extends far beyond individual development.

One tuakana says, “I’ve definitely become stronger as a tuakana because of them. I’ve had a really good time and it’s been super helpful in not only helping me understand the rangatahi kaupapa and how I can contribute to it, but also helping build relationships with the other tuakana.”

BGI image 1

For another participant, the experience was deeply personal:

“As a tuakana, I participated in a wānanga held at Papawai Marae – my ancestral home. It was my first time returning as an adult and it reconnected me with my whakapapa and marae. Now, I am committed to growing this kaupapa so more young people can experience the transformation I have had.”

BGI’s success with the Grants for Good funding highlights the importance of genuine partnership in community development

“The HealthCarePlus Grant for Good funding team were so approachable and acted like a partner in what we were doing, taking an interest and putting their time into talking with us during the application process.”

This support has enabled BGI to future-proof their kaupapa, develop new kaimahi, create compelling video content, and build sustainable foundations for both their Year 12-13 programmes and their tuakana leadership series.

With solid foundations now in place, BGI dreams big: ensuring all rangatahi Māori in Pōneke have the opportunity to participate in these transformative programmes. By investing in tuakana, they’re building intergenerational leadership that creates ripple effects through whānau, hapū and the wider community; exactly the kind of sustainable, culturally grounded impact that drives lasting change.


 

Feedback from our Grant Committee members

Vernon feedback about BGI grant


 

If you are interested and want to know more this year's Grants for Good and how to apply for one, then click below to find out more.

Got an idea to

MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE?

Then apply for our "Grants for Good" program.
Learn more

Leave a comment