Raised in te ao Māori, Harlem-Cruz Atarangi-Ihaia was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand in 2017 and since then has founded her own organisation, Purotu.
The former pageant winner, of Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu And Ngāti Porou descent, said her business created programmes to provide women and girls with the tools to unlock their full potential by combining pageantry and te ao Māori.
Atarangi-Ihaia said the programmes she had provided had great outcomes where initially the girls or women were shy and reclusive but later would open up and have an outgoing demeanour.
“With our Hine Purotu I’ve seen huge changes in our kohine. They come and they're shy and won’t talk, then after the 10 weeks on show night, oh my gosh, totally different girls.”
“They might say ‘they won’t get off the stage; want to go on again’ The confidence it builds in them just reminds me why I’m doing it”.
Atarangi-Ihaia tells wāhine: “You need to stick to what you are passionate about. If you start going toward the money or going toward what everyone else is saying, that’s when it goes all kotiti haere."