18/05/2026
Evelyn is one of our fantastic Tuia whānau. This is her story. Aren't we lucky to have such amazing people in our community.
"Originally, we came from Colombia, but we moved to Ecuador for about three years, and then we came from Ecuador to New Zealand in 2018. We moved to Nelson first.
I used to work with a big immigration organization. They offered a job here and an opportunity for my daughters and my son. I couldn't see it myself, but they said, ‘No, you must have this opportunity to go into New Zealand, because we need people like you on it’. Okay, done. They got me the interview, and I received all the paper forms. I had to learn English, but I'm happy now because it's good to have a chance for good communication with people and involve more in the communities as well.
I’m studying for a Diploma in Psychology. For a long time I see how hard it is for Spanish people in the community. No one in Spanish is coming to receive any treatment or counseling support, I need to do something. I chose to study there to support all people, not only Colombia, you know, all Latin Americans. It's not about money, it's about supporting other people. We just want to bring something that's a gift, we care, we have a purpose.
My mom is a chef, she supported us with education through cooking. That's why I finished school. My mom gave me a lot of values. She taught me how you need to survive and I learned a lot of skills from her.
I have a hair braiding business. It's not easy to find some products when you live in a small town, but in Christchurch, we have everything that we need.
I never knew New Zealand existed in the world, honestly. I only hear about Australia, but not New Zealand. I'm happy, I'm grateful, we found lovely people, kindness.
I like to do some walking, have a picnic.
My son is more like an explorer…"
- Evelyn
"I love going on hikes. Me and my friends, we go on adventures. I love caving as well, I do a lot of caving in my free time. I studied hospitality because my main goal is to become a chef, and at the moment, I'm planning on studying at the New Zealand School of tourism, to do a tourism course for my level four, because I completed NCEA level three in Nelson.
When I first arrived in New Zealand, I had no clue what I was doing. I couldn't speak or communicate with anyone. I always had to use the translator. The teachers were very nice. The treatment was beautiful, it was very welcoming.
My mom has worked very hard to get us here. Yeah, very proud of her. My mom has gone through some struggles, because that was one of the main reasons why we left Colombia. She worked so hard while having me at such a young age.
One of the biggest struggles for her, because English is the barrier, there was always a lot of misunderstanding in those areas. She wants to help our community. She wants to - not just help Colombians - any Latino that comes because we can understand each other a lot more, And she knows how it feels to be put at the bottom. She wants to help those who are at the bottom.
I always tell my friends, you guys live in a bubble. New Zealand is a bubble. Protected.
I can say I'm very open minded because I've lived here for the rest of my young years, but I know what it was like living in various other countries. We can help so many people. I mean like culture, we come with experiences that people here don't have.”
- Jordan
