Ymmij Rameka (pictured) cannot wait to take centre stage with newfound confidence and motivation she has gained through Tupu Aotearoa.
Of Cook Islands Māori and Māori descent, the bubbly 22-year-old from Porirua is currently training to be a Zumba instructor and volunteer firefighter.
She says it would have been very challenging to find her path in life if it were not for Tupu Aotearoa and Inwork New Zealand (Porirua).
“Prior to discovering the Tupu Aotearoa programme, I was busy looking for a job,” Ymmij says.
Tupu Aotearoa is one of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) leading initiatives, which supports Pacific people to gain tools and skills that enable them to thrive.
Knowing Pacific communities succeed with access to the right tools and skillsets, Tupu Aotearoa connects Pacific people with local providers who then support clients to access work or learning opportunities on their journey to employment, further training or study.
After Ymmij joined Tupu Aotearoa, and was connected with Inwork, she sought help in finding her career path and tried new things along the way in order to reach her goal of finding employment she enjoyed, and which challenged her.
“I gained courage and motivation to just get out there and figure out where I want to spend my time, and exactly what I want to do.”
Ymmij adds by taking part in the initiative, she sees there are a huge number of opportunities available to those who want them.
Right now, she is gearing up to lead Zumba classes, training with fellow Zumba instructors until she is ready to take the stage.
“I see that there are plenty of choices I can make, and I do not have to be alone in making that decision.
“My greatest lesson from this experience has been to make sure I try everything I can because I will not know unless I try and just give it my best shot.
“If I enjoy it, that is where I am meant to be – I know now that work is meant to be enjoyable.”
To all those people who are unsure of what to do in their future, Ymmij says she recommends giving Tupu Aotearoa a go.
“You can truly benefit from participating in this programme,” she says.
Visit the MPP website to learn more about Tupu Aotearoa.