Whakapono ki a koe ake | Believe U Can

Te kare ā-roto e kori ai tō tinana | Belief. The emotion that stirs your body into motion.

The story of UC is inspired by our student's own personal journeys. Each scene is guided by them and expresses their own motivations and experiences. It aims to instil the idea that belief in yourself and in others, can take you anywhere you want to go.

So yeah, it’s a pretty simple plan. Believe U Can.

Our poet is Wairaamia Tikao Taratoa-Bannister (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Raukawa), a year 13 student and Head Girl 2021 at Cashmere High School.

This film was brought to life by the talented Ōtautahi teams at Strategy Creative and Resonate Films.

Meet our Believe U Can video stars

Believe U Can Poem

Belief. The emotion that stirs your body into motion.
One small drop contains the power of the oceans.
And, yes, with all this chaos and commotion
You’d be forgiven for thinking
“What’s my personal motivation?”

The new normal’s so abnormal that now normal’s an abstraction.
What happened to civilisation? This world is a distraction.
But still belief will never fail to cause a chemical reaction.
Fizzing up your synapsis.

With purpose and possibilities to put into practise.
Yeah, those ones.
And, so, you pause.
Breathe.
And say: “What do I want to do for me?
The future me.
The one who needs me to believe
That I can make a difference — unequivocally. In whichever way I deem.
Even if that's flipping me into WE.
UC, that really is living the dream.
So, yeah, it’s a pretty simple plan.

Believe U Can.

Whakapono ki a koe ake

Whakapono. Te kare ā-roto e kori ai tō tinana.
Kei roto i te kōpata iti noa te mana o ngā tai moana.
Nā, i roto i te kūnakunaku me te maniori o te wā
Ka mārama noa mehemea koe ka whakaaro
"He aha kē taku ranga wairua?"

Kua pērā rawa te korokē o te noho māori hōu, kua huri kē hei mea tūrehurehu
I ahatia rā te kaneketanga ā-iwi? He whakawai te ao nei.
Heoti anō, ko te hua tonu o te whakapono ko te tauhohe matū.
E hihiko ai te hinengaro

He whāinga, he āheinga hei whakatinana.
Āe, koirā rā.
Nā reira koe e tū ai.
Kia ngā.
Kīia ai: "Me aha au mōku anō?"
Mōku hei āpōpō
Tērā e mate nei kia whakapono atu au
He kai kei aku ringa - āe mārika. Ki tāku e pai ai.
Tae noa ki te huri i 'au' ki 'tātou'
UC, e ora ai te wawata.
Nā, he ritenga māmā noa.

Whakapono ki a koe ake.

Believe U Can Philosophy

Believe U Can have ideas.
Believe U Can influence outcomes.
Believe U Can lead conversations.
Believe U Can exceed expectations.
Believe U Can respond.
Believe U Can take a new direction.
Believe U Can change opinions.

Believe U Can realign gender politics.
Believe U Can help the environment.
Believe U Can relook at Keynesian economics.
Believe U Can change what people see.
Believe U Can pass new laws.
Believe U Can learn a new language.

Believe U Can retrain the way you think.
Believe U Can make that idea work.
Believe U Can find people like you.
Believe U Can change prospects.
Believe U Can set your own priorities.
Believe U Can make a difference in the world.

Because, we believe in you.