About Us

Our Mission

TTo provide holistic support, promote mental and emotional well-being, intervene in family violence, enhance child welfare, and educate for personal development and financial literacy.

Our Vision

To offer migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers a safe and culturally sensitive environment in which to gain support, accurate information and a better understanding. To support at-risk families and vulnerable children through services of intervention and prevention, advocacy and education. To provide these services by staff who are fluent in the languages and cultures of their clients.

Our Value

Whakapapa – Manaakitanga – Puawaitanga

We stand as beacons of light,
Guiding others through the darkest night.
With Whakapapa, we honour their name,
Their roots, their story, their rightful claim.

Through Manaakitanga, we extend our hand,
A lifeline of care, a place to stand.
Our staff are heroes, the heart of this place,
Turning hardship to hope, despair into grace.

As they nurture dreams, their hopes take flight,
Through Puāwaitanga, their futures grow bright.
Empowered and strong, their spirits renew,
Through kindness, they find what is true.

Mehdi Shahbazpour

BE (Hons), PhD

Leadership experience across multiple sectors, including academia, industry and community.

Anmar Taufeek

BE (Civil), PMI – PMP

Experienced corporate Health, Safety & Quality Manager, with several other governance roles in charitable trusts
Board Responsibility: Health & Safety, Quality
Risk & Compliance

Kauthar Sabri

BA Social

Work Experienced social worker, with specialties in youth and adult mental health.
Board Responsibility: Compliance & Advocacy

Bruce Keeley

BSc, Dip Tchg, LTh, Mphil

Anglican Church parish ministry and chaplaincy, as well as leadership in interfaith dialogue.
Board Responsibility: Secretary, Communication & Advocacy

_{MA (Applied Social Work), Postgraduate in Professional Supervision, Graduate Certificate in Cross-Cultural supervision, Post Graduate Certificate in Business, MA (English Language and Literature).Working in a quality improvement and risk management role with a teaching and social work career background.}

Abbas Koleini

BCom, MCom (Finance), CPP

Experienced corporate finance and pricing professional
Board Responsibility: Treasurer,
Risk & Compliance

Adam Brown

<sub>NZAC Registered Counsellor

Ph.D. in Comparative Study of Religions and Philosophy, Master’s degree in Counselling, Diploma of Management and Leadership, Level3 Certificate in Child Protection, Fluent in Persian and English</sub>

Amna Al Shawaf

Integrated Operations Coordinator

Experienced in administration, event management, community outreach and supporting a range of ethnic communities. Fluent in English and Arabic

Marwa Alsakini

Family Supporter

Bachelor of Information Technology experienced administrative assistant and management, fluent in Arabic

Sorraya Raja

Family Supporter
_{Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management. Experienced bilingual tutor with the Ministry of Education, and experienced administrative assistant. Fluent in Farsi, Urdu, English and Punjabi}

Marzieh Etemadi

Community Navigator

Supporting Persian communities and focusing on aiding senior ethnic members of communities to settle in NZ. Fluent in Persian and English.

Azita Kusari

Social Worker

Master of Social Work, Bachelor of Counselling, Certificate in Social Science, Fluent in Persian, English, Turkish, Kurdish