Our Board
prof Eleanor Holroyd
chair
Eleanor is a registered nurse and an anthropologist, who was born in Aotearoa and worked in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, East Africa, and Australia before returning to New Zealand, and AUT University - where was she an alumnus. She has researched ethnic women's health for the past three decades, as well as being a Professor and Associate dean of International and Engagement for the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences.
Sabrina Zoutenbier
Sabrina is an experienced counsellor and counsellor educator. For the past 15 years she has been teaching at the University of Auckland in the Master of Counselling programme. She also supervises counsellors and others engaged in community-based work. Sabrina is a counsellor registered with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and is currently a member of the NZAC Regional Ethics Team.
Dr Arif Saeid ONZM
Arif served as a medical doctor in Afghanistan and worked for Médecins Sans Frontières from 1994 to 1999. He moved to New Zealand in 2000 and worked with Refugees as Survivors NZ for 17 years, where he led the Community Services Team. Together with Dr Fahima Saeid, Arif cofounded NFACT to support Afghan Evacuees resettling in Auckland. He currently works with the Ministry of Social Development as a senior refugee and migrant advisor at E Tū Whānau. He continues to support new settlers and refugee communities with employment, social engagement, violence prevention and the improvement of health and wellbeing. Arif is also the president of the Refugee Council of New Zealand and a member of the NZ Police Advisory Board.
Suresh rajan
Backed by a wide range of experience in operations, management, communication and education, Suresh Rajan has been teaching at Manukau Institute of Technology for two decades. A specialist in intercultural communication, he organizes customised training for the United Nations and New Zealand government personnel assigned to overseas missions. He has also been providing management consultancy services to diverse business organisations in the Auckland region over the years.
Miriam Gabriel
Currently serving as the Community Engagement Manager at Mercury where she has been employed for the past two years, Miriam has 18 years of experience in the community and health sector. She has dedicated her career to community development and engagement, supporting access to health and community services. Her work involves collaborating with diverse communities within the Central and West Auckland region to ensure their needs are met and voices are heard.
Our team
Dr Fahima Saeid MNZM
Chief executive Officer
Fahima is originally from Afghanistan and came to New Zealand in 2001. She is a passionate advocate of the refugee community, with more than 19 years of work experience in the sector. She holds a MBBS Degree from Afghanistan, a Masters Degree in Counselling (1st Class Honours) from the University of Auckland, and is a registered counsellor with NZAC. Fahima strongly believes in social justice, equal rights and an inclusive society for all. Her hobbies include cooking, sewing, and reading Afghan literature and poetry.
Shalini Pillai
Operations manager
Originally from Malaysia, Shalini has lived in New Zealand for over 20 years. She has a Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Studies. She has extensive experience in the philanthropic sector through her work with Foundation North, where she was a senior policy and grants advisor. Her work in international education and rural development in India and Vietnam contributed to her love of travel and working to address systemic drivers of inequity. With a Certificate in Refugee Resettlement, Shalini worked for a time in the refugee sector in New Zealand. She has been on the board of two community organisations. Shalini is particularly passionate about supporting women’s empowerment and animal rights.
Annah Stevens
Programme manager
As a student, Annah completed an English Language internship and worked abroad in Asia, which inspired her to study International Development and International Relations. Since then, she has worked and volunteered in the not-for-profit sector for over 10 years.
Aiming to upskill and focus more on relational human-centred support, she completed her Masters in Applied Social Work at Massey University. She began her journey with NFACT as a social worker, providing support to Afghan Evacuees, migrants who had faced workplace exploitation, and the wider refugee community of Auckland. As NFACT’s Programme Manager, Annah oversees the day-to-day operations and provides guidance to staff.
Pene Gayford
Social enterprise coordinator
Pene currently manages NFACT’s Creative Hub and Kohna Zari Ko. She oversees multiple sewing classes and repair cafes throughout the the Auckland region. Before joining NFACT as a sewing teacher in 2023, Pene previously worked as a merchandise manager for six years and as an ESOL teacher before that. At NFACT, she has taught hundreds of students through the Creative Hub’s beginner, intermediate and advanced sewing classes. In 2026 she took on the role of Social Enterprise Coordinator.