Vocal Roots

Meet our final panelist, Shelwin Khan!

Shelwin is a second-generation Kiwi Indian whose parents migrated from Fiji.

Raised in Manurewa, he proudly calls South Auckland home and values its rich cultural diversity. Drawing on his lived experience of mental health and addiction challenges, Shelwin has built a career in peer support, recovery, leadership, and advocacy. He works in lived experience leadership roles, mentors peer support workers, contributes to service development, and champions person-centred, recovery-focused approaches.

Passionate about inclusion and cultural responsiveness, Shelwin brings a unique perspective on identity, resilience, recovery, and belonging, with a strong commitment to amplifying lived experience and diverse community voices.

✨EVENT INFO✨
11AM-3PM
Corban Estate Arts Centre
Free - register via the link in our bio!

Meet our third Between Worlds panelist, Eryka ✨☕️

Eryka descends from Ngāti Maniapoto in the mighty Waikato on her mother’s side, and Kpando in the Volta Region of Ghana on her father’s side.

She’s a proud māmā to two amazing very cheeky individuals, and her mahi is centred around supporting rainbow young people within school environments. She’s passionate about creating spaces where young people feel valued and safe to be themselves - particularly those who may feel like they’re on the “outside”, or who have experienced stigma, stereotypes or a sense of not belonging.

A big part of her own journey has been navigating identity, culture, belonging and what it means to find your people, so is grateful to be part of this kōrero and to share some of those experiences at Between Worlds.

Outside of mahi, Eryka loves all things art in alllll the different forms art can come in. She also ha a side quest of collecting and growing house plants!

✨EVENT INFO✨
11AM-3PM
Corban Estate Arts Centre
Free - register via the link in our bio!

Kia ora and kumusta from our next panelist Dr Lovely Dizon!

A 1.5-generation Filipino and academic, Lovely completed her doctorate in public health at the University of Auckland in 2023, focusing on 1.5 and second-generation South Asian youth, ethnic identity development, mental health and access to support services.

Currently, Lovely works as a researcher and evaluator for a non-government organisation and as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Auckland. She runs Amplify.nz, an online space for amplifying ethnic minority voices and experiences in Aotearoa. Her passion and drive behind this platform comes from creating safe and intentional spaces, community building and communal care, always advocating for greater representation of the often-invisible experiences, needs and strengths of Asian youth in Aotearoa.

Lovely feels the greatest sense of belonging in places she can be myself, can laugh loudly and where good food is involved. She loves her dad’s cooking, reading anything she can get my hands on, craft-ing with friends and re-watching her emotional support sitcoms.

✨EVENT INFO✨
11AM-3PM
Corban Estate Arts Centre
Free - register via the link in our bio!

Meet our first panelist Muj Hussaini 👨🏽‍⚕️✨

An Afghan-Kiwi raised in Tamaki Makaurau, Muj works as a pharmacist and is passionate about drugs. All of them.

In his spare time you can find Muj doing all things to stay fit, from weightlifting, swimming, running, cycling and kickboxing. His most recent obsession to improve his Persian and learn more about Afghanistan’s history, led to Muj starting Dari boy an Instagram page dedicated to showcasing the diversity of Afghan culture. He hopes that Dari boy dariboy_nz helps young people to be more interested in their own history and culture, as well as showing them that there’s no one right way to be Afghan.

He also wants young people to know and understand the value of acknowledging their experiences, generational traumas and difficult journeys as too often they can get overlooked or downplayed.

Muj is committed to self growth, walking the talk, and supporting initiatives that tackle the issues that young people face from being “between worlds”.

✨EVENT INFO✨
11AM-3PM
Corban Estate Arts Centre
Free - register via the link in our bio!

Meet our Arts Facilitator Bareeka 👩🏽‍🎨✨

Bareeka Vrede is a community arts facilitator and visual arts teacher based in Tāmaki Makaurau.

As a community arts facilitator, she has been a part of teams that have created writing workshops with acclaimed international and national authors, lead a archival project about black voices in Aotearoa, co-curator a zine spotlighting black diaspora stories and artwork alongside a book stand for auckland council and auckland c*d library, spoken about the history of black literature at the Auckland writers festival, and facilitated art workshops centered on the importance of art and community.

Bareeka will be facilitating a collage activity at Between Worlds to explore the conversations, thoughts and experiences from the event.

✨EVENT INFO✨
⏰ 11AM-3PM
📍 Corban Estate Arts Centre
🎟️ Free - register via the link in our bio!

Less than a week to go!

Living between worlds is something many of us from migrant and refugee backgrounds can relate to.

This event will be a space to reflect, connect and share what that journey has been like ✨

Meet our Between Worlds Emcee 🎤✨

Michelle “Mish” Mascoll is a Londoner of Afro-Caribbean descent, now proudly calling Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland home. She’s a community leader at heart ,someone who builds genuine relationships, listens first, and turns connection into action.

Mish is part of Ethnic Rainbow Alliance and a founding member, championing representation and belonging for LGBTQIA+ people from ethnic communities. She’s also the Founder of Same Same But Black , creating space for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour voices within the Rainbow community, and a co-founder of the Black Sound Society , supporting BIPOC audio professionals internationally.

She previously served as Vice President of the Waitākere Ethnic Communities Board and sat on the government’s COVID-19 Community Advisor Panel, helping bridge diverse communities and decision-makers. With a background in media production at Auckland’s multilingual community access radio station, Mish knows the power of storytelling to bring people together.

A Justice of the Peace and Leadership New Zealand alumna, Mish combines lived experience with real sector know-how and she’s just as comfortable in a boardroom as she is having a genuine, honest conversation. She works on the principles of being kind and show, up when you can. Everyone needs some support at some time. Caring is learning.

✨EVENT INFO✨

11AM-3PM
Saturday 3 October
Corban Estate Arts Centre

What happens when we listen before deciding what comes next? 🤔💭

Between Worlds is creating space for rangatahi from migrant and refugee backgrounds to share their experiences, ideas and perspectives on alcohol, other drugs, wellbeing, identity and belonging.

What you share can help inform how future approaches to alcohol and other drug harm are designed for communities like yours. Because rangatahi know their own experiences, and your voice can help shape what comes next.

Come along, take part in the conversation, share what feels comfortable for you, or simply listen.

🕙 11AM - 3PM
📅 Saturday 3 October
📍Corban Estate Arts Centre
🎟️ This event is free! Register to attend via the link in our bio.