Each year our organisation hosts the Prime Minister’s Oranga Tamariki Awards (PMOTA) in Pōneke, to acknowledge a number of nominated care-experienced rangatahi and their achievements.
The master of ceremonies (MC) for this year’s awards is Tahirah Moton (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tanui and Pakistani). Tahirah herself is care-experienced, and says she feels a sense of relatability to the rangatahi she will be the voice for on the day.
Tahirah has spent much of her time acting as an advocate for youth in care, formally and informally, beginning when she was a teenager in care. She now uses that experience to help inform decision-making in her role as Advisor Tamariki and Rangatahi Voice at Oranga Tamariki.
“A big part of me wanting to connect with this kaupapa was to show the rangatahi what you can achieve, with the right supports. I’d really love to get that message out to them,” she said.
She said although her time in care came with many challenges, she was provided with some really positive examples of support that ultimately changed the trajectory of her future and helped to get her on a path to success.
Providing a youth voice for Oranga Tamariki
Tahirah has played a vital role in helping to uphold the voices of young people with the Oranga Tamariki framework.
Following her time spent in care, she spent several years as a member of the Youth Advisory Group, before taking up a role that was advocated for by the YAG, sitting within Oranga Tamariki.
The role is set up for someone with lived experience in care to act as a conduit between young people and Oranga Tamariki, providing a youth voice on various pieces of work.
“We are collectively working to improve the system but while we are doing this, we are also working to understand how we got here.
“I think it's great that we (care-experienced rangatahi) help to decide how that works. We need more of this," she said.
Tahirah said within the role there was room to grow and shape their work to best support the young people and their voices.
Involvement with the Awards
Tahirah’s involvement in the awards doesn’t stop at being the MC. She also sat on this year’s panel, helping to select the recipients to be acknowledged for their success.
Speaking about this experience, she said, “I really wanted to celebrate all of the amazing recipients and thought it would be a really cool way to get to know them, especially from someone who was at one point in a similar position to them."
Tahirah feels like being this year’s MC is a full circle moment. In 2016, her sister was nominated and received an award.
She said this year’s group of rangatahi were talented, with unique skills and life stories.
“It’s really inspiring to see how far they have come in their individual stories. Aotearoa is so lucky to have such amazing people,” she said.
She wanted to remind the young people that this day was an important recognition of their successes, and a chance to give them some positivity and joy in their lives.
“PMOTA gives young people some extra support, allowing them some relief from the constant pressures of growing up in care, and a chance for them to pursue what they are passionate about.
Sometimes it’s down to life’s circumstances and social positioning that sees us on a certain path. But we all have intrinsic mana and value, and I want these rangatahi to remember that," said Tahirah.
The recipients, their nominator and their support person will all attend a special two-day celebration in Wellington on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 June 2025.