Warrior wahine Brooke FIGHTING for our FUTURE

As the daughter of an All Black legend, Brooke Stanley Pao has gone from a life of privilege to one of protest. Here she talks to us about her crusade against poverty.

- JUDY BAILEY

For a long time now, there has been a widening chasm between those who have and those who do not in this beautiful country of ours. It's not good. Not good for any of us.

Despite the promises of "transformational change" from successive governments, nothing seems fundamentally different. The rich still get richer and the poor even poorer. We have enough as a nation. On a world scale, we are wealthy. Why, then, are so many struggling to feed and clothe their children or to put roofs over their heads?

Brooke Stanley Pao deals with these issues on a daily basis. She is the coordinator of Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP). It's an apolitical group - there to be a voice for the poor, to hold politicians to account and to wake the rest of us up to what's going on in our own backyards.

Brooke with parents Evelyn and Joe, plus siblings Ashley, Deirdre and Joseph

Tall, quietly spoken, her expressive hands delicately covered in traditional tatau that pay homage to her family and her commitment to service, Brooke is nervous about this interview. She doesn't want the focus to be on her. "I'm not comfortable talking about myself," she explains. "I'd so much rather talk about the work."

Ah, yes... But she is integral to that work. The people she serves are lucky to have this deeply thoughtful and committed warrior wahine to go into battle for them. "I want to dedicate myself to kaupapa [principles] that impact the Pacific and Māori communities," she says.

Hers is the only paid role at AAAP. She relies on a solid team of volunteers, most of whom are beneficiaries themselves.

I ask what she's learnt from the people she serves.