The Kids will be Alright

15 May 2019

Local leader Sophie Handford, national coordinator of the School Strike 4 Climate Change and Youth MP for Mana, tells Sophie Dixon, Youth Press Gallery Member, what’s next on the agenda.

Sophie Handford

Youth in New Zealand are drowning in a wave of worry, from climate change impacts to mental health issues to white supremacy. While the rest of us are doggy paddling, heads barely above water, 18 year-old Sophie Handford is a lifeboat, inspiring Aotearoa to jump in and bail water alongside her. Coordinator of the School Strike 4 Climate Change in NZ, she facilitated a movement that galvanised teenagers, toddlers and old-timers alike, and she’s not stopping there. Running on an optimism born out of fear, Sophie gets what many of our political leaders don’t. This really is life or death: “I want to have an Earth to pass onto my kids.”

15 March was a watershed moment in New Zealand history. What started as a hopeful, powerful call for change was plunged into a tumultuous period of grief and fear. We cannot forget the innocent deaths, or senseless violence. That afternoon exposed the very worst of society. The morning highlighted the very best. The strike was just the beginning.

Sophie is alight with passion as she sets out the next steps. Further climate action is planned for 24 May in line with the international movement, pushing the message that the time to act is now. Information about this will be circulated soon, but there is a clear impetus to keep placing pressure on those in Central and Local Government. Sophie is also working to integrate units about climate change into the national curriculum. Providing a base of knowledge so that we can be equipped to make smart, sustainable choices will be essential moving forward.

Too young to vote, but not too young to change policy, youth desperately need to be consulted with, and seen as key influences in developing of plans such as Wellington Council’s Te tuatahi ki te roe/First to Zero. Sophie acts as an important voice in these spaces, but wants those in power to do more to encourage youth participation. Currently the School Strike 4 Climate coalition is undergoing internal shifts, as teenagers who latched onto an international movement settle in for the long haul to save our futures.

Sophie was thrust into the spotlight because of her determination to make her voice count. “I’m just frustrated at the lack of representation of youth. I want youth to have someone to identify with and relate to.” But her story doesn’t start or end there.

Elected in late 2018 as Hon Kris Faafoi’s Youth MP for the Mana Electorate, Sophie will represent Kapiti, her community of Paekakariki, and the wider electorate at Youth Parliament. Youth Parliament is a triennial event, with young New Zealanders selected by all 120 MPs in the New Zealand Government to represent them. These teenagers bring a crucial vibrant, we-believe-we-can-change-the-world and-maybe-we-can perspective to the Beehive, establishing plans and debating policy that will inform government action.

Sophie’s kindness, leadership style modelled after her “100% inspiration” Jacinda Ardern, and experience as Head Girl of Kapiti College, will allow her to advocate for the electorate on a wide scale, focusing on mental health issues and climate change action. With an emphasis on small steps, and stopping to listen, she has reached out to communities in the Mana Electorate about issues that matter to them and actions they want taken, aware that her experiences are not universal and we can all always learn more. The local community of Paekakariki is a driving force for her, with its coastal shores under threat.

“We need to focus on preventing the effects of climate change before they reach full force.”

She also intends to work on improving the accessibility, quality and quantity of mental health services for those on the Kapiti Coast. At 18 years, Mana’s Youth MP is uniquely placed to understand the pressures on young adults, and why this is translating into New Zealand’s high suicide rates in the 15-19 and 20-24 years age groups.  

Watch this space: Things may seem bleak right now, but with Sophie Handford an emerging figure in our political landscape, I believe the kids will be alright.

Sophie Dixon is a Youth Parliament Press Gallery member and first-year student at Victoria University of Wellington.