The resilience I learnt, as a former refugee, gave me the skills to cope during lockdown and to help others who were finding this time stressful and difficult to navigate.

Chuda Ghimirey, Cultural Learning Assistant, ELP Palmerston North

During lockdown, I was busy contacting our learners and showing them the different ways of learning using modern technology.

I was worried in the beginning about our elderly learners because they are not able to read and write in their own language. How could they join our online classes?

However, with the support of their family members, teachers and other Cultural Learning Assistants (CLAs) we succeeded. Then I realized that nothing is impossible!

I learnt a new way of connecting with everyone in a different situation. I always want to help the people and the community. So I was looking for ways to help the people who are in need.

When I was browsing the websites, I thought of the Manawatu Multi-Cultural (MMC) centre. I sat down and started to make a list of the people who are in need in my community as well as in the wider community, including the international students who are in casual work and have lost their jobs due to Covid-19.

I helped almost 20 households to register under ‘Palmy Proud’ to get food parcels.

Being involved in the education field for a long time, I thought of the children who are not able to join online classes and their parents who are front-line essential workers. I put in a request to the MMC Manager to manage some funding to buy some stationery for the children so they could engage at home. Due to the restrictions and limits, it took nearly 5 weeks. But in the end, I was able to invite the parents of 30 children to come and get the bags of stationery for their children.

It would not have been possible without the understanding and support of the people.