A young wahine Māori is using the power of the Māori language to inspire rangatahi to chase their dreams and realise that "the world is better with them in it". Brooklyn Opetaia (Te Whānau-a-Kai) founded 'Words to Heal You' in 2021, originally as an Instagram account and a safe space to share her mental health journey through poetry. Since then, it has grown into something much larger: a safe space, a dream, and a movement, Opetaia said.
The movement quickly took on new life, and by the end of 2021, Words to Heal You dropped its first hoodies, designed to encourage people to "wear words that heal" and create a global impact together. Fast forward to 2024, Opetaia, in collaboration with Manawa Māori, a reo Māori provider, have released their first-ever hoodie in te reo Māori, with the words 'Mei kore ake koe, e pai ai tēnei ao' meaning: 'The world is better with you in it'. She said that Māori, especially young Māori, need to hear these words.
"I feel like so many young Māori put their dreams to the side because they believe that someone is more qualified or comes from a better background." Opetaia said she wanted to break that stigma. "There is such a space for Māori in the world' Opetaia said that another reason for launching the hoodies in te reo Māori is Aotearoa's tragic mental health statistics, which show Māori have the highest suicide rates .
"These statistics break me," Opetaia said. "All suicide breaks me. I know that if this hoodie could im.