Photo Gallery
A series of photographs from past events and ongoing workshops. If you would like further information about any of our events please contact us.
Afghanistan’s Independence Day
NFACT had the privilege of hosting Afghanistan’s Independence Day programme on August 19. It was a great opportunity - especially for our Afghan youth - to make connections and share their rich cultural heritage with others. Many of us are all too familiar with the tragedies that have unfolded in recent years, and it is moments like these that serve as a reminder of everything that once made Afghanistan so remarkable. Our esteemed guest speakers shared encouraging words and support that made celebrating Afghanistan's legacy all the more significant. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive and we are so happy to see such engagement.
Te Tahawai Marae & St Marks Church visit
As part of Matariki celebrations, a few of our Afghan families visited the Te Tahawai Marae in Pakuranga. It was a great cultural experience to connect with the local marae and community to learn more about Māori culture - including practicing a waiata and pepeha. The visit was a collaboration with St Mark's Catholic Church in Pakuranga so our families also visited the church and interacted with church members and the priest. Big thanks to Rosa Chow from Auckland Council @Connected Communities & Te Wānanga o Aotearoa for securing this visit.
Speaking Engagements at Schools
In August 2023, we gave three talks to Diocesan School for Girls which focussed on life for women and girls in Afghanistan. We do these in the hope of raising awareness of their repression under the Taleban regime (which took power back in 2021), and shed light on what Afghan women and girls are experiencing at the moment. The last talk was given to the entire school of 1700 students at the school assembly, and it was accompanied with a prayer led by the Head Girl. We always appreciate the opportunity to share these important stories with New Zealand girls.
Community Orientation Programme
Through the course of the year, we run sessions in the community on topics that are important to the settlement of our clients into New Zealand life. The topics include housing, tenancy & tenant's rights, education, emergency preparedness and most recently, the elections and how to vote.
Positive Parenting Programme
Our Positive Parenting Programme offers mothers and fathers a chance to learn skills that will help them raise their children in a new country. Topics include bedtime routines, parenting to children of different ages, dealing with disobedience and aggressive behaviour and effective communication. And it's not just training; the sessions allow for discussion and the opportunity for parents to share their personal experiences.
Road Code Programme
Learning to drive is a huge step for our clients. It can be intimidating to start the journey of becoming a driver in New Zealand. Our road code programme helps with understanding the language and the content of the NZ road code. Participants work through the content over an 8-week period, and are then guided through the examination process. We are proud to say that the programme has achieved a 95% pass rate with our participants.
Youth Football
Our Afghan youth football group has been a highlight in the programme this year. The boys and girls are enjoying the social interaction and improving their football skills. With the recruitment of Ali and Nahida as coaches, we're now focussing on getting the teams ready for the football competition at CultureFest 2024.
Matariki with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei
We had the pleasure of celebrating Matariki with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. It was a great opportunity for our group to deepen their understanding of the history and significance of Matariki, have fun and enjoy each other’s company. Big aroha to Pandy and Nick Hawke for sharing their knowledge and wisdom with us. We tried our hand at traditional flax weaving, and shared stories and kai together - great coming together of our two communities, and a wonderful way to welcome in the Māori new year! Special thanks to E Tū Whānau for making this opportunity possible for us.
NFACT's Official Launch 2023
April 28, 2023 was a very important day for us as we celebrated our official launch with friends and partners in the sector. The launch was a lovely mix of Afghan folk song and music, prayers and speeches from our partners and supporters such as E Tū Whānau, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand Labour Party , Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, members of the NFACT Board, and of course, our CEO and co-founder, Fahima Saeid.
Nowruz (Persian New Year) 2023
For the first time in New Zealand, four communities - Afghan, Iranian, Kurdish and Zoroastrian - joined forces to celebrate Nowruz. Nowruz is the Persian New Year and according to UNESCO, over 300 million people celebrate it across the globe. It is a festival based on the Solar calendar, around 21 March on the Gregorian calendar. In February 2010, UNESCO listed Nowruz on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. The four communities came together to celebrate Nowruz with the support of NZ Police and Auckland City Council. This event took place on 18 March at the Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall with over 200 people attending the event. There was poems, speeches, music, dances and great food enjoyed by many including the recently arrived Afghan nationals.
Market Day at CultureFest 2023
On the 2nd of April, the World of Cultures festival run by Auckland Council culminated in a day at Mt Roskill’s War Memorial Park. More than 60 cultures were present on this very special day, including our very own NFACT Creative team with their sewing creations on sale in the market.
Christmas Party
Migrant Family Resilience Programme
NFACT has successfully run a few Migrant Family Resilience Programme workshops. The latest one was carried out with the Ethnic Women's Group that is based at Mangere East Community Centre. The programme bought together many women and children of different ages who have recently resettled in New Zealand.
Psychosocial Group Activities
NFACT runs a variety of psychosocial activities aimed at bringing refugees and migrants into mainstream communities. This includes things like gardening, shopping, financial literacy workshops, mindfulness and yoga workshops. These teach the communities new skills while also building their confidence to engage it wider society.
Needle and Crafts Classes
The NFACT Needle and Crafts Classes provides a space for refugees and migrants to come together and enhance their needlework skills. This is done with the help of a number of incredible volunteers who give their time and resources to be with the group and teach them new skills. We are very grateful for their generosity and the classes could not be run without them. See our Events page for classes coming up, or contact us to find out more.
