Sonia | Onehunga, Auckland

“I’ve come here to New Zealand on my own. I’ve come here by the Word Genesis 12:1,2. It’s actually courageous and brave, because you leave everything behind. You leave your normal surroundings, your hunky-dory, your set-up, and you’re going to a strange country.

I’ve never, ever left my country before. So, coming to a new country on my own, without knowing anyone here, it was bravery and faith. I would say faith. Coming here is part of having faith that you are going to be okay, and you’re going to make it, and that’s part of my thing about being brave and courageous. It comes along with wisdom, but withstands with inner peace. But what gave me the most desire to come here, was knowing New Zealand was a safer country than South Africa. A much more peaceful, safer country, and I have noticed it in many areas, that New Zealand is a safe country. 

I’ve learned that the grass is not greener on the other side. You’re going to get a lot of hurdles, and in order for you to cross the other side, and get to where you’re really going, you’re going to see a lot of different people, a lot of different humanity, a lot of different culture and things definitely work differently and have a different process of doing things. So, there’s a lot of struggles and without struggle there’s no getting to where you want to go. You learn a lot, that there’s a lot of difference from what you thought. I’m just going to go there, I’ve got a work visa, I’m educated, I’m going to do my job there. And, when you get to New Zealand, you believe that you have everything, only to find out that this is not exactly what it looked like and you’re experiencing so much difficulty, and there’s something else that’s not your plans. So, I found it difficult, getting through my hurdles, but thank God, with a positive mindset, and positive attitude, that I’m still like surviving.

I was actually born in South African. My heritage is from India. Actually, north of India, and I grew up in South Africa in Durban, the lower part of South Africa, and it’s a very beautiful, lovely country, and I’ve come down to New Zealand on a work visa. I’m a hair stylist and beautician by profession. Then when I came down here it was such a struggle with the Corona. I’ve decided to change, and I love cooking. I had a restaurant in South Africa. So, I decided to do catering here, which is at the Wesley Market, where I studied and got my diploma just recently with catering. I’m doing a career of that, now. I’m in Wesley at the market, trying to prepare and sell food, and my outlook for catering is to have my own thing again, to cater for functions, doing platters and maybe one day, do my own restaurant. A little South African and Indian mix. Oh, yes I absolutely love that.

What helped me to overcome that is believing. I go to church, so I’ve been involved in community and church work, and a lot of people’s problems. I have people that in New Zealand have depression and people that have a lot of problems psychologically, mentally but being with them, helping them and socialising with them, I realise my problems were just so little. Then by God’s faith, going to church, keeping myself humble, I know that I’m going to make it through everything here. So, with the struggles, I personally have come through with God’s mercy. People ask me, how do you survive without a job for so long, financially and that? But, it’s through God’s grace. Doing humanity work, doing service work to people, that finally I get help. It’s just by being helpful, by being Godly, being serving, being charitable. Having half a loaf and sharing our half a loaf. God loves the world. So, it’s all about love. We’re loving others, and God is your provider. So, that’s how I’m surviving.”