Baskets Of Knowledge

A scientist at heart our guest this week Sneha talks to us about the journey that she has undergone as she has taken her love for science at school to complete her degree in an area she enjoys.

This conversation explores that journey, but we also get to chat about Sneha's passion for helping young people which resulted in her choosing to be an RA for two years before taking up her current role as a Residential Coordinator at the Halls at the University of Canterbury.

Through the conversation we talk about Sneha's interest in modelling and not letting the tone of her skin define her place on the stage and the world. We talk about her part in the Miss India NZ show, which then gave her the taste and confidence to put her name up for the Miss Canterbury 2024 show. Through this we speak about how Sneha has used her love of dance to be able to raise awareness for the I am hope and the Brave charities.

There is so much to unpack in this conversation, we know you will love it!

Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

Dancing and being on stage, if we had told this weeks guest that one day he would be showing his pride for his culture and upbringing through dance he would have told us we were dreaming.

This is just one of the areas we get to speak about with our fantastic guest Teja Depuru this week. Teja talks to us about growing up as the child of new immigrants to New Zealand. The importance that his family placed on him knowing and always embracing the roots that he has come from. This has been a strength that he has been able to lean on as he navigated his study to now be a pharmacist. We speak about all the changes we face as we go from high school to university then from university to the work place and how at each stage we grow but we also need to adapt and change

This is a profound episode in which the positive, calm and always friendly nature that Teja has comes through so evidently as we speak about his story so

Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

Born in Barbados but raised in the winterless North in New Zealand, our guest this week uses the energy and learnings from his formative years in Northland to power him in all that he does.

Kii Small is a creative hustler who has teamed up with some like minded people to develop platforms that allow for individuals to better understand their mental health, as well as understand historical contexts. He is the Founder of the SaySo Project, a digital storytelling platform that gives young people around New Zealand the opportunity to start journaling their stories and experiences without barriers. 

Kii is also the co-founder of the Unpack Podcast, which dissects New Zealand history and culture through the rhetoric of the comment section on social media. This is a must listen podcast for anyone in New Zealand.

In this episode we talk about why and how these two ventures started, we speak about Kii's time as an Obama Leader, but in essence this is just a great conversation about how to take up opportunities and not let others define your boundaries.

As always the knowledge shared at the end is priceless

Check out the SaySoProject here: https://sayso-project.com/

and search for the Unpack Podcast on your fave podcast app

Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

Growing up in the Philippines our guest today moved with his family to small town Hawera where he discovered something called rugby and a community that was really welcoming. 

Education has always been something that was normalised in his family. Peter Remoto talks to us about how he was unsure what to study when he first started at University but decided to have some physics and some chemistry in his first year. Through his study he got to a stage where he discovered that he really enjoyed chemistry. This opened doors for Peter to do an

Through this episode we talk about the projects that Peter has been involved in. The reality of loneliness in a new city and the opportunities that game him.

A fantastic piece of wisdom to end the episode!

Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

Change is part of life, but we all approach this in different

Our guest Ozair talks to us about how he used discipline, consistency and faith to help him navigate his path. We talk about the joys of finding new friends and embracing the diversity they bring. There is a full circle moment as we

Enjoy!

Prajesh and Tane

Coming from a household where teaching has always been the

During this episode we also speak about how life has thrown Ghananta her fair share of surprises. Through each of these surprises Ghananta talks to us about how her faith has been something she has been able to lean on and delve into to get her through some dark times. 

There is a great chat about her visit to India, the experiences she has had there, and a full circle link to how being in a classroom has always been a calling!

As always there are a number of fantastic lessons and amazing life experiences in this episode.

Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

This week we have a throwback to a guest from Episode 19, at

As always so many learnings from this episode as Marcus turned his maniac mindset to a mindset that has him focused on getting into Medical School.

Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

Growing up in Auckland our guest this week grew up in a world where his identity was well defined as a young person. However, as he grew older and the kinds of people that lived around him changed this got him thinking about what his cultural identity was. Through this episode we speak to  Vitolio Niuloa about how he now proudly represents his Samoan and Niuean cultures. What this means to him and how it led

Though he has completed his psychology degree, Vito had a dream to become a Dr, a dream that started from a very simple reaction that his family had when he said to them he wanted to be a Dr when he was at school. That reaction is something that kept him going as navigated his undergrad trip. On this trip he found people he fully connected with, he found a way that helped him study effectively, he found friendship and more importantly the encapsulation of Vā. 

In this episode we learn how the impact of family, friends and being a humble human can have a profound impact. As always this is filled with a number of actionable lessons for anyone listening.

Enjoy!

Prajesh and Tane

This week our guest is well known by anyone that is looking to work in the field of accounting or has an interest in this area. He is well known by many of the tertiary providers in New Zealand and Australia with the work that he does in engaging with communities through his employer MYOB. However, like all our guests Shailan Patel is way more than what his job title is.

In this episode we talk about how Shailan had set a few timestamped resolutions in his life and how these have led him to move from the United Kingdom to New Zealand. There is a fantastic narrative about what education looks like, what the idea of home is and a chat about how AI is becoming a part of our lives. We also talk about how building a community in a new place can happen over a run or joining a football team.

As always, the piece of knowledge that Shailan leaves us at the end is one that ANYONE can implement into their lives.

Enjoy!
Prajesh and Tane

Building a community is something that is innate to all humans. However, as humans we tend to marginalis some communities based on some variable be it race, religion, age,

Our guest this week Angus Lonergan speaks about the passion he has for working within these communities. In his current role as the Child & Youth Engagement Lead with UNICEF Aotearoa Angus gets to work closely with getting the voices of young people heard. Not just heard but also valued by those that are making important decisions. in this episode we speak about how Angus got to where he has gotten, there is a beautiful thread of connection that weaves this career story.

We touch on climate change and the delegation that attended COP 23 in Dubai. We also speak about what it is like being Australian living in Aotearoa with respect to the very different attitudes towards respecting indigenous language and culture in mainstream life.

As always there are some fantastic takeaways that any one listening can put into their Basket of Knowledge.