The Hello Frequency

In this episode of The Hello Frequency, I’m joined by Hannah Hafoka, an early childhood teacher living in Ohio and originally from Alaska, for a candid, thought-provoking conversation about empathy, emotions, care, and how we learn to understand one another. 

Hannah begins with a question she has been asking herself: Do I have empathy?

For a long time, she understood empathy as feeling what another person feels. But what happens when you recognise someone’s pain without necessarily feeling it yourself? Can choosing a caring response still be empathy? And does care have to look or feel a particular way to be genuine? 

Happy listening! 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

A Conversation with Hafsar Tamesuddin. 

There are many labels we give people.

Refugee. Former refugee. Stateless. Migrant. Asylum seeker. Minority. Foreigner. Queer. 

And sometimes, long before we meet the person, we think we already know who they are.

My conversation with Hafsar Tamesuddin reminded me of something very simple: before all the labels, there is a human being. 

Perhaps we cannot solve every injustice. But we can choose how we meet another human being.

We can listen.
 We can learn.
 We can refuse to dehumanise.
 And we can remember the power we hold as people. 

Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM. 

Citation: Divakalala, C. & Tamesuddin, H. (2026). Before You Speak, Your Energy Speaks. The Hello Frequency Podcast. A Lifestyle Podcast. Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

In this episode of the Hello Frequency podcast, I’m joined by Nimasha Fernando, a Kiwi Sri Lankan designer and researcher living in Aotearoa New Zealand, who explores identity, language, whakapapa, and belonging through typography. We talk about empathy as something bigger than simply understanding another person. It can also be about humility, care, body language, listening, making mistakes and being okay with not having the right words. Nimasha shares stories about being Sri Lankan and queer in Aotearoa, reconnecting with Sinhala, learning Tamil and Te Reo Māori, visiting Jaffna, and unlearning the pressure to be the “good immigrant”. This is a warm and honest conversation about language, community, migration, colonial thinking, the natural world and the many layers that shape who we are. And yes, in true Sri Lankan style, even the goodbye takes a while. 

This episode's cover image artwork credit goes to Nimasha.  

Email: [email protected] 

Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM 

Citation: Divakalala, C. & Fernando, N. (2026). A Word Is More Than a Word. The Hello Frequency Podcast. A Lifestyle Podcast. Aotearoa. 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

“Empathy is not just listening. It is recognising dignity, challenging dehumanisation, and choosing to act.” 

In this powerful episode of The Hello Frequency, I sit down with Samira Ghoreishi for a fierce and deeply moving conversation on empathy, migration, anger, healing, and justice. Drawing from her Iranian roots, community work, and lived experience of displacement, Samira challenges us to move beyond passive listening and practise empathy as an ethical, political, and spiritual choice. Together, we explore what it means to resist dehumanisation, honour pain without being consumed by it, and choose compassion that leads to action. 

The recent media coverage on Samira’s views on Iran: 

https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360929817/understanding-future-iran 

Empathy is not agreement.
Empathy is not pity.
Empathy is not staying silent.

Email: [email protected] 

Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM

Citation: Divakalala, C. & Ghoreishi, S. (2026). No One Is Other. The Hello Frequency Podcast. A Lifestyle Podcast. Aotearoa.  

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

In this timely kōrero conversation, I sit down with counsellor, community organiser, facilitator and educator Gaayathri to reflect on empathy, solidarity and resistance in the context of the Definitions of Woman and Man Amendment Bill in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

We explore why attempts to narrowly define ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are not acts of protection, but forms of exclusion that can harm intersex, trans, non-binary, gender-diverse people, and ultimately all of us. The conversation moves beyond simple opposition to ask deeper questions, such as Where does fear come from? Who benefits from confusion? How do we respond with both political clarity and relational empathy? 

Gaayathri offers a powerful framing of empathy as a ‘360-degree concept’. The one that asks us to stand firmly with those harmed, while also understanding how fear and uncertainty are being used for political gain. The episode also reflects on coloniality, feminisms, safety, and the responsibility of cisgender people to show up, in the context of the current Bill being proposed, through submissions, conversations, relationships, and solidarity. 

At its heart, this episode asks: Does exclusion ever make anyone safer? And if not, what kind of courage, tenderness and action do these times require from us? 

Email: [email protected] 

Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM

Citation: Cayathri & Gaayathri. (2026). When Protection Becomes Exclusion. The Hello Frequency, A Lifestyle Podcast. 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

In this episode, Caya is joined by Naveena, queer storyteller, writer, and proud Tauiwi/tangata tiriti living in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Together, we explore empathy as something deeply embodied: something we feel, practise, and return to through storytelling, poetry, vulnerability, community, and connection. Naveena reflects on how books and writing have shaped her understanding of others, how sharing poetry can create unexpected connections, and why discomfort is often necessary for growth.  

This conversation moves gently through identity, migration, queerness, settler responsibility, spirituality, the digital world, and the need to stay connected in times that can feel overwhelming. It is an invitation to listen more closely, feel more honestly, and remember the small acts of care that keep us human. 

Email: [email protected] 

Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM

 Citation: Divakalala, C. & Naveena, N. (2026). Embodying Empathy. The Hello Frequency, A Lifestyle Podcast.   

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

The Hello Frequency returns for Season 3 with a new logo, music, and a reflective and intimate opening episode from me, your host Caya.   

In this tender introduction, I honour the journey of the podcast so far - from the courage and curiosity of Season 1, to the grief, loss, and deep transformation that shaped Season 2. Season 3 begins on the 1st of May with a dedication to comradeship, solidarity, collective care, and the quiet ways we walk alongside one another through life. 

I reflect on grief, activism, embodiment, exhaustion, healing, and the costs of always showing up for others while sometimes abandoning the self. Drawing from memories of growing up in Northern Sri Lanka during war, community care, and nearly four decades of activism and responsibility, I ask: how do we keep caring without disappearing from ourselves? 

This season invites conversations on healing, embodiment, belonging, grief, pleasure, justice, spirituality, creativity, and what it means to stay human in complicated times.

A gentle beginning. 
A return.
A recommitment to empathy - not as performance, but as practice, responsibility, and embodying care. 

The Hello Frequency begins again.  

Email: [email protected] 

Citation: Divakalala, C. (2026). We Begin Again. The Hello Frequency, A Lifestyle Podcast. 

Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

In this final episode of The Hello Frequency, Season 2, I reflect on a year shaped by empathy, losses, connections, healing, and profound transformations. Recorded from an empty home at the close of 2025 on the International Human Rights Day, this episode revisits the transformative conversations that defined this season, including from grief to belonging, care, solidarity, and the politics of empathy. With tenderness, honesty, trust, and hope, I share what this journey has meant, how it supported me through personal challenges, and what lies ahead for Season 3. A grounding, intimate closing to a season filled with courage, vulnerability, wisdom, and hope. My deepest gratitude to my guests, listeners, those who have shared insights, and promoted my podcast. Thank you for tuning in. 

Citation: Divakalala, C. (2025). Empathy, Healing, and the Journey Ahead. The Hello Frequency, A Lifestyle Podcast. 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

This week, I’m honoured to be joined by Shawn for a deeply honest, beautifully grounded conversation. We talk shared histories, being consciously tangata tiriti in Aotearoa, living with ADHD, the subtle art of creating radical empathy, and why kindness sometimes means setting firm boundaries. We hope you’ll join us, bring your own authentic take on empathy, and practise it in the realities you navigate. 

We hope you’ll join us, bring your own authentic take on empathy, and practise it in the realities you navigate. 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language! 

Empathy is often seen as simple, just putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. But in today’s world, shaped by rapid change, layered and intersectional identities and belongings, and deep-rooted inequalities, empathy has become much more nuanced and challenging. In this episode, my generous guest, Erin, and I unpack the complexities of empathy: what it truly means to care about those whose experiences differ from our own, how temporality and hierarchical systems shape our perspectives, and why it's crucial to approach life with intentional empathy, indeed, without compromising our own mental wellbeing. 

We explore the role of empathy in leadership, community building, and healing. There was a lot of “here is hoping”, and some have come true already. YAY! 

Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language!