There’s one month to go for children and young people from around Aotearoa to enter Dreams for the Decade. Barnardos is calling on Aotearoa’s youngest generations to get involved by 20 July.

Barnardos is Aotearoa’s national children’s charity, shaping brighter futures together with children and families. It has created Dreams for the Decade to provide a positive platform for tamariki and rangatahi to share their hopes and dreams for Aotearoa at the start of the new decade.

Dreams for the Decade is a participatory project that all tamariki and rangatahi 18 years and younger are invited to enter, by expressing their hopes and dreams for the next 10 years through art, poetry or a combination of the two. Participation is either individually or in groups, including as school class groups, and children and young people can choose the medium they use to make their entry. The focus is on expression, reminding our youngest generation their moemoeā and aspirations for the future matter. The closing date is 20 July 2020.

Dr Claire Achmad, Barnardos’ General Manager Advocacy says “we started the project in February, but COVID-19 and other events have meant an unexpected start to the 2020s. We received some wonderful poetry and art entries from tamariki and rangatahi during the rāhui, and we are doing all we can to get the word out to as many young people as possible, so Dreams for the Decade is as inclusive as it can be. We’ve heard that some schools are using it as a class activity this term as a way to refocus on the importance of what matters to children and teenagers.”

Barnardos acknowledges that often it’s the negative things facing children that are highlighted at the public level. Dreams for the Decade is about creating a positive space to focus on children’s hopes and aspirations, things that all children should have for their futures, no matter their circumstances. Dr Achmad says that “we know from talking with some children and young people that their experiences through COVID-19 have been mixed. For some, rāhui had real upsides, like having more time with family and whānau. For others, it has been a challenging time. Especially as Aotearoa recovers from the pandemic, it’s more important than ever that Aotearoa’s tamariki and rangatahi know that their ideas are essential to making this decade a positive one, and that brighter days are ahead.”

Ruby Jones, internationally acclaimed young illustrator and writer is a Dreams for the Decade guest judge, and will help select some top entries to receive prizes across the four age categories for the project. All tamariki and rangatahi who enter will recieve acknowledgement of their participation. Barnardos will be publishing all the entries in an online collection, and is scoping some opportunities to display some entries around the country.

“At Barnardos championing the experiences, ideas and views of children and young people is part of what we do. We want to highlight what they share through Dreams for the Decade in communities around Aotearoa. We’re keen to collaborate with others to make this happen. As we head into this new decade we think that part of what will make it a bright one in Aotearoa is for us collectively as a country to grow our understanding of what matters to tamariki and rangatahi. The opportunity is ahead of us to work together to help bring their dreams and aspirations to fruition”, Dr Achmad says.

Entries for Dreams for the Decade can be sent to Barnardos via email (dreams@bararndos.org.nz) or by tagging @dreamsforthedecade on Instagram.

For further details, see www.dreamsforthedecade.nz and follow on Instagram @dreamsforthedecade

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