'I am proud of being a rangatahi Māori and to show it to the world’

Young Māori and Pacific people in New Zealand are being urged to take up the call of the United Nations and empower other youth in Aotearoa to find their voice and speak out on what they feel strongly about too.

The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, is looking for young Pacific ambassadors who can amplify the voices and rights of rangatahi and tamariki across Aotearoa.

Wahine Ngārita Mckenzie is part of UNICEF’s Young Ambassador Program and says it helped strengthen her advocacy skills to represent her culture.

Watch Ngārita McKenzie's interview below.

“The program is open to all rangatahi aged 17 to 24 years old, and it encourages them to make a positive change and impact in their community,” Mckenzie told 531pi Pacific Mornings.

The program’s objective is also to empower other youth through workshops and experiential activities about inclusion, diversity and disability, types of violence, safeguarding policies, gender perspectives, leadership, human rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, policies against sexual exploitation and abuse, mental health and safe care, and teamwork.