Rourou Conversations

People of Puāwai Ep 2: Kai and Carrot

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Episode notes

Kai and Carrot talk about how they have experienced the world. Both are of Polynesian descent, which often finds people of ethnic groups boxed together, Kai and Carrot’s stories show us how much variability there is in an individual’s identity, that there are complex and different ways in which people navigate the world and most importantly, that we do people an injustice if we don’t get to know an individual story before we make assumptions about them. Kai discusses their gender, having a split whānau and having to move around, the impact of neurodiversity, the experience of being Māori in school, and how all of these things cumulatively impacted their schooling. And Carrot, being born in Samoa and moving to Aotearoa, discussed her goals for sustainability in the future and the impact her culture has had on her, in particular, the value of service.

For more information and links check out: ⁠Linktree ⁠and ⁠Instagram⁠

People of Puāwai is where Cooper and the amazing rangatahi from the ⁠Leadership Lab's Puāwai programme⁠ as they share their stories, the changes they want to see in society, their hopes for the future and things they're passionate about.

Puāwai is a kaupapa Māori rangatahi programme with a focus on inclusion and diversity. Need support? Want to learn more about topics discussed? Find a list of wonderful community organisations, information and resources​ ⁠here⁠. This programme was produced at ⁠PlainsFM ⁠in beautiful Ōtautahi Christchurch.