This year, 4 Hillmorton students were selected to be a part of the Regional Youth Hui 2019, organised by Environment Canterbury. This included Samantha Dryden, Ella Coetzee, Elisabeth Findlay and Sophie Clark. The hui went from Thursday to Saturday where they stayed at the beautiful Karaweko Marae at Ōnuku.

During the hui, we learnt more about how the government tackles environmental issues, water and air systems, the extremely important value of mahinga kai and were also able to express and discuss what environmental issues we are passionate about. This included climate refugees, rising sea levels, endangerment of native plants and birds, pollution, mental health in NZ youth and cultural values. During our stay, there was a whakatauki displayed on the wall which held a lot of meaning, especially in relation to our overall experience and the ‘what’s next’ for the issues we were talking about. This whakatauki for us, respresnted kotahitanga. This being unity, togetherness and as one.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi Engari he toa takitini - My strength is not from myself alone, but from the strength of the group.

The overall experience of the hui taught us all so much. We recognised that by coming together as a group of young people who share the same passions and goals for the future, we can actually make an impact and start change despite being young. We all learnt so much in only 3 days and it was truly an eye opening experience that will be unforgettable for us.

Sophie Clark