This Is Us

Latifa and Mahmood

Latifa loves hearing stories from her grandfather Mahmood, particularly about her great-great-grandfather, who moved to the Waikato in 1908 and helped build the first mosque in New Zealand.

Engin

Engin and his wife Ayla are from the former Yugoslavia, and moved to New Zealand after growing up in Turkey. With their two boys, they love camping and hiking all around New Zealand.

Shaymaa

Shaymaa, who has both Syrian and Iraqi family, believes all cultures have a connection to each other. She loves learning and is currently teaching herself te reo Māori and Japanese.

Dewi

Dewi loves cooking -- particularly Indonesian food she learned from her mother -- as she she loves seeing the joy it brings her family and others. Dewi's dream is to one day own her own restaurant.

Fatima

Fatima was only 10 when she moved from Iraq, but her love of the water has never left her. For Fatima, nothing feels as good as a New Zealand summer with family at the beach.