Malian-New Zealander Boubacar Coulibaly reflects on the significance on the latest coup in Mali in August 2020. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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For Boubacar Coulibaly these are days that bring back several memories.

In 1989 when he immigrated to New Zealand to be with his Kiwi wife Jenny, his country was under the authoritarian government of Moussa Traoré. General Traoré was eventually overthrown by public protest and the military in 1991. On 15 September, Moussa Traoré passed away in Bamako.

Meanwhile, there's was a military coup in August and a transitional government is being formed currently after President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was ousted by soldiers and public protests demanded his resignation on 15 August.

For Auckland-based Coulibaly, these days bring memories of his time in Mali as a student protester calling for democracy during General Traoré's regime in the 80s, alongside reflections on the significance of the recent military coup - the second in Mali, in the past decade.

Recent BBC reports say the signs of a coup were already brewing with Mali seeing several protests this year and public dissatisfaction with corruption and the state of security in the country.

Coulibaly has been on the phone every day since August trying to stay on top of the developments, speaking to his siblings and extended family who live in and around the capital Bamako.

"Every time I go back to Mali I get really proud...I know how much progress and education has happened and how much progress the country has made."

While his family aren't directly affected by the situation, he says the main issue however, corruption, is something that deeply impacts everyone.

Coulibaly remembers protesting in the 80s, losing years of study after university and high school classes were suspended by General Traoré as a result. "In Mali, the students were always the first to protest. Malians are very free people in their minds. They don't accept ruling class to behave in any way."

As a Francophone country traditionally Mali saw people emigrate in larger numbers to Europe rather than to Commonwealth countries like New Zealand.

Over the years the Malian community here has grown as children are born, grow up, and have their own, but according to Statistics NZ those born in Mali number about 9.

As a result, Coulibaly takes it on himself to be a cultural ambassador of sorts. From hosting visiting Malian musicians to being the Bambara translator for visiting diplomats…

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What do you do when you're faced with approving of a loved one's decision to end their life? A Holland-born New Zealand resident shares her journey. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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"For Mum there was no other option. She would have died in pain or lonely. This was the perfect ending, I can't say it any other way."

About a year ago, Dutch immigrant to New Zealand, Marleen Bastiaansen, helped her 99-year-old mother end her life in her rest home in Netherlands where euthanasia is an option for those with terminal illnesses.

Along with her three siblings, Marleen said goodbye to Jule Lucas Heinink as she closed her eyes to the sounds of her favourite Chopin piece, Nocturne.

Marleen lives just north of Auckland, in Pūhoi, and has been in New Zealand since the '80s. Assisted dying is something she wishes all people had the option of.

"I want to share my story because when people see how if it's done right, with utmost care and respect for life, it's only a blessing.

"The process was so thorough, and with dignity and respect to life. For me of course, it was a very double feeling, it's hard to say goodbye to your mum, but that was what she wanted."

Marleen was with her mother from the day she decided to discuss her wish with her doctor, to her final day. She says two years before it happened, her mother had already started bringing up the subject. She spoke of it more often as her cancer began to get worse, as the physical discomfort and pain increased and as her condition deteriorated.

"In Holland, is openly discussed, it's not talked about it in a bad way; it's out in the media, everywhere. Everything is discussed openly, and in a clear and calm way with rationale."

Raised Catholic, "that was quite an unusual stance she took" Marleen said, but not altogether surprising for a woman who had always been a forward-thinker and independent thinker.

"I said, Mum, what do you think about your religion? She said the god she believed in wouldn't think it was a sin. She believed there was a god but also felt there were a lot of man-made regulations. She felt that that was not standing in the way."

The day the decision was made and the formal verbal request was conveyed by Jule directly to the doctor, her children were present as witnesses. An elaborate round of protocol-based questions followed, with a lot of stress being placed on Jule's mental clarity, lack of depression and acceptance of all family members…

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When it comes to mobilizing helping hands at this south Auckland gurdwara, there's no dearth of volunteers. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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Each Wednesday and Sunday, the Takanini Sikh Gurdwara sees hundreds of cars driving into its gates to pick up free food bags. Volunteers line up, open the boots and load up bottles of milk, bags of fresh veg and fruit and even icecream on some days. It's one large, seemless and contactless operation.

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What started in Level 4 lockdown in March as an act of charity synonymous with the Sikh faith, has carried on and now includes mobilizing members of the wider community.

Behind this mammoth effort are two teams of volunteers from beyond just the Sikh community - from Samoan to Cook Island Maori who join others to form a massive packing line to help fill food bags worth around $20 to $30 each.

Distributing free food to the needy is fundamental to the Sikh religion. Daljit Singh, spokesperson of the NZ Supreme Sikh Society says this is for everyone - you can't turn anyone away based on their race, beliefs or religion."

The New Zealand Supreme Sikh Society is made of different Gurdwaras or temples, across the country. During crisis and times of need, resources are immediately pooled together for humanitarian help across New Zealand or even globally.

The scale of the operation here during the recent alert level 3, simply boggles. Apples being trucked in from Hastings, vegetables from Te Puke and Pukekohe, and other items are being bought through cash donations or simply dropped off in bulk and unopened cartons.

Each food bag comprises food for a family of four for a period of two to three days. Each day of food distribution anything between 1500 and 2200 bags are given out, effectively feeding nearly 10,000 people.

Through a Whatsapp group, Daljit organizes this twice a week and within a day usually all food needs are met by people responding on the group with what they're willing to contribute with.

"We receive about 14 tonnes of food each time we put a call out."

"Covid-19 lockdowns have affected many people badly in South Auckland he says, from jobs losses to financial losses. What we've seen is that Covid-10 really united people, especially here in South Auckland. We now work closely with many maraes, churches, different community groups."

"Not just for myself, but I tell my volunteers to spend a whole day helping needy people and just see how you feel. I can't express it in words."…

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During the alert level 3 lockdown, a group of blood donors didn't back down from stepping up to help. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar.

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Lovedeep Sharma is pretty cheerful for someone with a large needle stuck in his arm.

It's 6pm on a Monday and he's at the Manukau centre of New Zealand Blood Service as part of a group of Indian blood donors across New Zealand. For them, charity and serving the community is a way of life. The nearly 60-member group is called Shah Satnamji Green S Welfare Force and take up all sorts of community welfare activity around New Zealand. With its origins in India, the socio-religious group undertakes activities to serve community across the world - from disaster relief to tree planting to donating food parcels, blood and plasma.

Dressed in their distinct khaki tracksuits, it's hard to not notice the group. "We're on a mission for humanity and the uniform represents our hard work," Lovedeep says.

Giving blood is an essential service during lockdown and this is the group's first donation during alert level 3 this time around. They previously made donations during the first lockdown that began in March this year after being notified of several cancellations of blood donations.

Simar Preet helps coordinate the group and she's here with her husband who's a plasma donor, and her two-year-old daughter who she hopes will become a donor as an adult. Simar was raised in India and watched her parents attend blood donation camps in Chandigarh, a town in the north. "It's an opportunity to save lives - it's so basic, and crucial."

"During the first lockdown there was a shortage because people were a bit scared of donating but we put a call out and had a good response from our group," she says.

Over the years they've made 250 donations, which has the impact of saving nearly 700 lives across New Zealand.

Sharma has been donating blood for about two years now as part of the welfare group and they're on a mission. Lockdown or not, these folk show up no matter what. Most members donate blood once every three months while many donate plasma every few weeks. "My dad received blood and it saved his life - ever since then I've been donating," Sharma says.

Every day in New Zealand a person somewhere needs blood every 18 minutes. That's about 80 people each day across the country…

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A restoration studio in Auckland has been drawing on the skill of people from different arts cultures to help preserve and restore Kiwi antiques. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar

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In 1944, Karangahape Road in Auckland became home to a unique hospital that opened after the war - a doll's hospital. It was set up by a local couple, the Lawsons, who did most of the restorations.

Many years later after the original owners took ill, the business passed through a few hands, almost closed, and eventually somehow merged with Wrightway Studios about two and a half decades ago.

Ross Stewart manages the large studio these days in Auckland's Glen Innes .

"I never knew myself how important Auckland Doll's Hospital was to people in Auckland" Ross says. "The other day we had a 70-year-old come in with his teddy bear..he wanted it fixed because he took it on the train when he want back to boarding school after the holidays."

From China, to Poland, Korea and Chile, the team here is a real mix of nationalities who restore some of Auckland's oldest antiques, toys and dolls, and they've been working right through the lockdown Level 3.

Sentimental and fragile things that come through door here to be salvaged, demand fidgety and detailed hand-work - a skill that's actually hard to find these days in an increasingly throwaway culture - pretty different from the era a lot of these toys were made in. It hasn't always been easy finding talent within Auckland with this kind or restorative skill.

"That's why we have a United Nations approach here, where different people from all over the world come in..they all bring their own flavour" says Ross about the really mixed work team.

Carolina Arriaza, from Chile, manages most of the doll repairs here. She studied how to make dental implants, which turned out to be quite a useful thing to know now she's working with ceramics, or glass eyes or the faded rubber of vintage dolls. Being brought up in an art and craft-loving family in Chile helped too, with a grandmother and mother who Carolina watched painting, sewing and knitting right through childhood.

Restoring isn't about making an object appear new again, but returning it to its state of authentic and worn look. "Colour matching is quite technical" she says, "it's like aging". Her work station is choc-a-bloc with dolls and teddy bears spanning every vintage. From bisque, to post-war era dolls, to retro 70s dolls. Some even have notes attached from the families seeking to restore them, about how precious they are. …

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