Here and Beyond
Bahman Jose Morlock
Rockstar Musician
County of origin: Iran
“I fled Iran after various legal challenges I faced because of my style and the Western music that I have been performing. I settled in Wellington after being an asylum seeker for many years in Malaysia. I am currently studying film and TV production at Victoria University of Wellington”.
Bahman Jose Morlock
Rockstar Musician
County of origin: Iran
“I started playing drums when I was 17 years old in progressive rock style. Alongside playing drums, I studied veterinary medicine. My brother, Reza, and I organised and performed at many large concerts in and outside Iran including in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia”.
Oliver Zavala-Ro
Fine Art Printer
Country of origin: Chile
“I was three when the coup in Chile happened. We moved to Argentina and that is where my earliest memories come from. We initially lived in a refugee hotel with dozens of other Chileans, but eventually, we started to create a life there, school and work, but always aware that we were refugees and Argentina wouldn’t be our final destination. We spent seven years in Argentina and came to New Zealand over 40 years ago but thoughts about my home country are never far away. My home is my sanctuary. I love having a moment where I can drink a cup of coffee and contemplate the week just completed and think about the week to come. My mind is never far away from what I have created and I feel very proud of it”.
Oliver Zavala-Ro
Fine Art Printer
Country of origin: Chile
“I am fortunate. I think of the thousands of refugees that aren’t as fortunate. I feel that I have been blessed and I am thankful every day for what I have and the life I have led in this country. I hope, feel and pray that I have made a difference. I believe that most of this opportunity has been given to me and I do not take this for granted. When I started Picaflor, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I wanted to create work that I was proud of and more importantly the client is proud of. I check every print that comes out of my printer so that there are no mistakes or blemishes and if there are, the client will never get that print”.
Lorena Buitrago
Administrator
Country of origin: Colombia
“I think adapting to a new country is one of the most difficult things one can do. A new culture, new people, a new language… all while being alone without your family and friends. When I first arrived in New Zealand, I was intimidated by my lack of fluency in English. However, one day, I said to myself, “You need to get yourself together, sit down and make a plan!” And that’s exactly what I did. Since then, every day after a long day at work and spending quality time with my children, I challenge myself to learn something new and improve my English skills. The very first thing I do every morning when I open my eyes is to think about a topic I’m passionate about and write about it in English for 15 minutes. Then, I structure my writing by exploring the Who, What, Where, When, and Why of the writing. Initially, I began learning English out of necessity, but now I strive to improve my skills every day”.
Lorena Buitrago
Administrator
Country of origin: Colombia
“My children have developed strong emotional and social connections here, which makes me very happy. As a mother, I try to teach my kids that with hard work and dedication, anything is achievable. It’s important to me to maintain my children’s cultural identity. I speak to them in Spanish to ensure that they remain proud of their heritage. My objective is to instil in them the significance of embracing their culture while also being receptive to new experiences and opportunities”.
Ibrahim Omer
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
Country of origin: Eritrea
“This is the moment that I was declared elected as a member of the New Zealand Parliament. As a child I was full of hopes, ambitions and dreams. Among the very long list of things I wanted to be and do, two things stood out for me: to be a football player like Ronaldo from Brazil or a politician. In my home country, I saw how politics and politicians ruined people’s lives, and, hence, I gave up my dream to be a politician. in 2003, I took a huge risk and fled to Sudan. I was granted refugee status to stay in Sudan, and five years later left for New Zealand”.
Ibrahim Omer
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
Country of origin: Eritrea
“My life has transformed so quickly. Twelve years after moving to New Zealand, five years after working as a cleaner, and three years after graduating, I became a member of Parliament. This is the result of the overwhelming support I have received from the people I have met along the way”.
Phil Pithyou
Police officer
Country of origin: Iraq
“I am a Police officer, I am a son, I am a brother, I am a friend and I am a proud uncle. This is me with my nephew Jonah (my brother’s son). This photo normalises who I am and what I do for work. I love spending time with my family. I also enjoy being in nature (with coffee in hand of course!), spending time with loved ones, making others laugh, boxing/physical exercise, mentoring others and last but not least, my job!”.
Ibrahim Omer
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
Country of origin: Eritrea
“This is me in traditional Assyrian clothes with my partner Hayley and my parents. Hayley is 4th generation kiwi of Scottish decent. The weaving of cultures, whilst retaining key elements of each, is an enriching experience and adds to the tapestry of diversity that is Aotearoa. When we first met I was apprehensive in meeting her parents and family and the prospect of ‘fitting in’. If there’s one thing, I’ve learnt it’s this: if you take away the difference in language, food, dress, faith, tikanga, etc, then at a deeper level the same things prevail in every household. We argue about the same things, celebrate the same things, laugh at the same things, cherish the same things and cry at the same things. We are all of the same race, the Human Race. Hayley is trying on the Assyrian traditional hat that goes with the male attire”.
Hanna Lashman
Internal Auditor
Country of origin: Ukraine
“My dad, Andrii, loved New Zealand. He had heard about this beautiful place from his colleague after his trip to Aotearoa. I remember watching a travel show with my dad that showed all the amazing parts of New Zealand and how people live there. It seemed like a perfect place to be. It is, of course, a total coincidence that I met Jake, my Ukrainian husband in New Zealand.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, we managed to get ‘Special Ukraine visas’ for Mum, Luke, and my father. However, all men from 16 to 65 were banned from leaving the country, so my father couldn’t leave. He joined the Army on the 8th of March and served in the logistics division. We all had been very worried about him all the time, and shedding tears and wishing the best for him on our daily phone calls were the only things that we could do. He used to call us every day at 3 pm. On 22 August, we didn’t receive any call from him. At 6 pm, we received condolences and were told that we wouldn’t receive any more calls from him.
My dad’s army nickname was Kiwi because he was obsessed with New Zealand. He had asked me to send him NZ symbolic patches for his uniform and even had his army vehicle rego “ківі”, which is “Kiwi” in Ukrainian”.
Hanna Lashman
Internal Auditor
Country of origin: Ukraine
“We are glad to have Mum and Luka here in New Zealand. The language barrier made it very challenging for Mum to settle in New Zealand. However, she managed to get a housekeeping job. Luka returned to high school in New Zealand. It is a graduation year for Luka, and he wants to enter a Ukrainian university. But we do not know if that would be possible yet”.
Natalia Stepura
Dressmaker and Fashion Designer
Country of origin: Ukraine
“This is my mother, Antonina. She is an accountant. On Wednesday, 23rd February 2022, my mum left her home in Kyiv to go to work. While she was at work, my sister called Mum and asked her to look after her kids. Mum left her workplace and crossed the Dnieper to take care of her grandchildren. The Dnieper River divides Kyiv into two sides, with my sister’s place being on the right and my Mum’s home on the left side of the river. The day after, Thursday, 24th February, Mum found herself at the centre of a war, taking cover under heavy bombardment of Kyiv. At that time, no one was allowed to cross the Dnieper. Since then, Mum has never seen her home again. On that day, I was shocked that I couldn’t get hold of my family. I started contacting my family members and friends to confirm that they were okay. Thankfully, they were safe and sheltered, as the bombing and shelling continued. On 11th March, my family started their asylum-seeking journey crossing through Ukraine, Hungary, and Germany, finally settling in France. After a long time of endless stress, I finally got reunited with her. Mum came to me in Aotearoa on a ‘Special Ukraine Visa’ that I applied for her. It was a long, long journey for both of us”.
Natalia Stepura
Dressmaker and Fashion Designer
Country of origin: Ukraine
“Even though we are far from our homeland, we carry the spirit of Ukraine with us. Ukrainians value freedom and the sanctity of their homes. Home is like an umbilical cord connecting us to our wider family. Now we are in New Zealand, which is a great country with friendly and welcoming people, setting an excellent example of how diverse cultures can live together in harmony. We hope that one day our children will be able to take the best of New Zealand back to our motherland, Ukraine”.
Alina Pronina
Student
Country of origin: Ukraine
“I ended up in New Zealand following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Before coming to New Zealand, I didn’t know much about the country or its friendly and kind people. In Ukraine, I had an ordinary childhood like every other child, but now I’m adapting to a new country and education system while striving for a normal routine”.
Alina Pronina
Student
Country of origin: Ukraine
“After school, I take a short break and then work at a cafe and restaurant until 9 pm. I commute with a bicycle. It is environmentally friendly. I love my workplace because of the nice and friendly people I see. I have made friends from different backgrounds, including another Ukrainian girl, Indian girls, and Kiwis. In the future, I hope to have more time for my hobbies of writing and drawing”.
Demeysa Ahmed
Community navigator, social worker, mental health support worker
Country of origin: Ethiopia
“I am a husband and a father; this is my most significant title, and it is undoubtedly an honour and a privilege for my wife and I to raise and care for our children. I won’t get everything right, but I will endeavour to be the best version I can be for my whānau. Understanding one’s role is crucial in establishing a foundational hub where you can recharge and focus on your responsibility day in a day out. I believe it is through cooperation that a lasting relationship is fostered; sure, it will be tested, but that test will only further strengthen the bond. Above all as previously mentioned, it essential to live a life of gratitude, as through this, you will find peace and be content with the provisions and blessings bestowed upon you”.
Demeysa Ahmed
Community navigator, social worker, mental health support worker
Country of origin: Ethiopia
“My role as a mental health support worker has been enjoyable; although the job comes with many challenges, it has helped me to understand life’s fragility. Nothing is forever; a single tragic event could drastically impact your physical and mental health, which can then reshape your world permanently. This has further instilled in me to lead a life of gratitude and to prioritise my wellbeing, and that my life doesn’t differ from those who I support, as they have lived and lead a “normal life” once upon a time. This could be reality for anyone at any given time, so once’s mental wellbeing should be taken for granted.
Often I play a game of chess with a resident. It is a great way to connect and disconnect momentarily from life’s busyness and channel your focus on a game of chess. It’s about the game’s banter, strategy, and challenge, which is very captivating and whilst anticipating the next move”.
Venus Azizi
Judge
Country of origin: Afghanistan
“I manage to talk to my family once or twice a week, and nothing is exchanged between us but the feeling of gloom, desolation, and hopelessness about the future of Afghanistan. All that we built in 20 years was lost in 20 hours. I was in my office at Herat Central Court on the day the city fell. Most of the court staff left, and there were only a few people asking for their legal documents. I have a clear conscience that I served my people up until the final hours before the fall of the city. On that day, when I wanted to return home, I was told that the Taliban had occupied my neighbourhood, so I couldn’t get back home ever. My husband and I were both judges in Afghanistan. We ranked first and second in the national judicial exam, outperforming 5000-odd attendees. I have authored eight books, five of which have been published. Now in New Zealand, we are improving our English. My husband and I are planning to go to the law university to continue our path in law and judgment again. To do that, we need to get a law degree in New Zealand, work as a lawyer for seven years and then we become judges once again”.
Venus Azizi
Judge
Country of origin: Afghanistan
“The best thing about New Zealand is its people; exceptionally nice, kind and supportive! For example, if it were not for the support of Justice Susan Glazebrook, we could not have left Afghanistan and who knows what would have happened to us. However, living in a new country has its challenges but we have learned to find our way through patience and hard work. One of the family challenges that we are dealing with is the huge change in the environment for our older son, Mohammad Jahed. He used to live a comfortable life full of amenities. Adapting to this change proved challenging for him. He misses our beautiful home in Afghanistan. The situation for our younger one, Mohammad Jaser, is much easier because he has no memory of our home back in Afghanistan”.
Jhoan Rivas
Digital Media Producer and Musician
Country of origin: Colombia
“I’m obsessed with Lego. I enjoy collecting sets, but when I can’t find what I’m looking for, I design it myself”.
Jhoan Rivas
Digital Media Producer and Musician
Country of origin: Colombia
“I do a little bit of everything. I am a drummer, percussionist, web developer, graphic and audio-visual designer, producer, photographer and digital artist”.