641 days ago

Shamla

The Team from Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi

“I am a reader. I didn’t grow up with siblings, I had a lot of free time. From my childhood, I read lots of books. One of my favourite authors, she’s Enid Blyton. I grew up reading Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers – they constituted a big part of my world. The first thing I did when I came to New Zealand was to hunt down libraries nearby.

I usually visit Tūranga. Lot of events happen there. Being inside four walls doesn’t light up your mood, so I come out to Tūranga and spend my time there surrounded by people. It makes me calm. I borrow books and go for a walk around the city. That’s my way of getting to know Christchurch. I just close my Google Maps and explore. So far, I haven’t got lost! It’s very easy to find my way around. In Christchurch city, everything connects.

I earned my Bachelor’s in Environmental Science. I am also passionate about conservation, which made me join Conservation Volunteers. One of the first things that I did when I came to Christchurch was to call them and ask how I could participate.

Moving to a new city could be intimidating. But these volunteering events have helped me a lot to put myself out there and talk to people. People are usually nice and warm. When I say I’m new to Christchurch, they ask about, like, how are you doing? Settling down? How do you find Christchurch? I found a lot of people who are like-minded as well, a lot of people who do conservation work like working outdoors. I also get to go to new places, like Amelia Rogers Reserve and McCormack’s Bay.
And I’m enjoying it very much, that’s the most important thing. When you’re volunteering you should enjoy and really kind of get into what you’re doing. So, I’m happy. I’m learning a lot. I’m getting to know a lot of new people, new environments.

I’m grateful that we moved to Christchurch; it’s one of the best decisions that we have made. I feel welcome in New Zealand, in Christchurch, particularly.”

- Shamla

View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org...

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More messages from your neighbours
1 day ago

Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?

What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?

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If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
  • 36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
    36.3% Complete
  • 63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
    63.7% Complete
399 votes
4 days ago

Scam Alert: Bank cold calls

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.

🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.

Remember, banks will:​​
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes​​
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device​​
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.

If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.

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8 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.

Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.

For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.

Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?

We hope this brings a smile!

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