To lead with Love you need both Compassion and Rage as your Advisers

Compassion speaks to Rage and gives her reasons and evidence 

Rage is Love’s fuel, her fire, it her asset.

Rage fills in the gap where Compassion is exhausted.

Rage listens, she weighs the Balances and takes Action 

You, my friend, have value above Rubies. 

Your crown glows and glistens and its worth is blinding 

Like a dragon we must horde you close

Least the demons find you 

Once they did and they ripped the rubies and sapphires from their gold casings

They threw these diamonds to the wind

No regard for their worth 

No regard for you 

They did not gather you to their bosom and love you 

They ripped you limb from limb and left pieces of you on door steps 

They did not offer you a monument for all time

They left your bones for dust 

But I found you

I took the scattered gems and placed them in their clasps

I polished the surrounding gold 

And I willed you back to the living and breathing 

I cried over your tiny hands, held the to my lips

The funerary pier sends smoke to the endless horizon 

But out of the fire you step

Clothed is royal purple

Surrounded by the haze of Peace 

Love holds you to her bosom.

She takes your hand 

Presents you to Compassion and Rage 

Dragons stand in front of you

Their teeth licked with hunger to caste fire 

We stand together and we know 

We turn and look at the demons and we know, 

Their time has ended.

The greatest value of this Earth, far above rubies is you, The Child 

Handing Back the Shame: Why We Funnel Our Rage

There is a specific kind of silence that follows the words, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” It is the silence of someone who has the luxury to look away. They offer the easy words, but they rarely offer to look under the rocks with you, to carry the burden, or to investigate a lead in full.

For those of us left reeling by the framework that treats children and women as less than looking away is not an option. We are the ones left holding someone else’s responsibility. But the time for carrying that weight is over. It is time to hand the shame back to the perpetrators and the systems that failed us.

The Advisor of Rage

To lead with Love, we must accept two advisors: Compassion and Rage.

Compassion gives us the “why”

Rage is the fuel.

Rage is not just an emotion; it is a tool. It is the energy required to weigh the balances and take action. It is what allows us to look at the policies that leave gaps and demand accountability .

Turning Pain into Tangible Action

We are often told to “file it away” or seek “closure”. But true justice requires making the pain measurable. In our mission for accountability, we are turning memories into a roadmap for reform:

Holding Services Accountable: We are exposing the gaps where Oranga Tamariki and the Police point fingers at one another. We are demanding the records that prove where the responsibility truly lies.

Changing the Narrative: We are redefining what a survivor looks like. We are moving past the victim label to show the world the strength of those who are surviving and thriving. 

Creating a Monument for All Time: Through registries, referral services, and systemic advocacy, we are ensuring that no other child is left in the pathway of an abuser. 

The Value Above Rubies

You have a value that is “above rubies”. This is a turn of phrase that those of us who have interacted with religion will recognise. It is in fact a term used to enforce purity culture, trade wife values and to measure the place of a submissive woman. 

But, at Maia Ataahua you have value because you are YOU and no rock will glow brighter than your audacious spirit. 

You are rare. You are treasured. You are the only person who can dance as you do. 

So, we stand together and we are no longer hiding our grief. We are funneling our rage to ensure that justice is not just a word, but our action.

Support Resources

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, help is available. You are not alone.

• Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843 - 24/7 crisis line for women and children experiencing domestic violence
• 1737: 1737 - Free call or text 24/7 for mental health support
• Shine: 0508 744 633 - Domestic abuse helpline (9am-11pm daily)
• Oranga Tamariki: 0508 326 459 - Report concerns about a child’s safety
• Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334 - 24/7 support for sexual harm - call, text 4334, or online chat
• Victim Support: 0800 842 846 - 24/7 support for victims of crime and trauma
• Are You OK: 0800 456 450 - Family violence information line