Voice of Achieve 2B Issue 7

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Contents

Cover...................................... 1

By Yuan

Contents ................................. 2
From the Founders Desk ......... 3

From Julia

Introducing Jayde................... 4

By Julia

Powhiri for New Students ....... 5

By Yuan

Looking back:
Lola’s Reflections.................... 6

By Lola

Lola’s Host Family................... 7

By Jo

Applications are Open! ............ 9

By Julia

Graduation 2019 ................... 10

By Yuan

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From the Founders desk

Hello, Kia Ora and Malo e lelei,

Not only is spring a reminder of new life but also a reminder of the cycle
of life. We have two amazing young people – Lola and Taylor who have
now completed their exchanges. Both have had amazing growing
experiences which we wait with baited breath to hear from them. They
are now at the end of their Achieve 2B cycle. And the cycle will begin
again for other students, as we gear up for selection 2020.

I would like to take the time to Thank all those who made these
exchanges possible. The Host Families – Nane and Seti Chen, Shane and
Alida Centoze – Williams. The Schools – The Ocean of Light International
School and Fairhills High School. Our Partner, Interchange Outer East
with the extra support they provided and The Ofa Tui Amanaki Centre.
And finally the Natural parents of both our students who trusted their
young ones into our care.

At this time of the year people can often think of winding down and
preparing for next year. And so at Achieve 2B we look forward to
bringing you an action packed year with some new initiatives.

As a part of our kick off to the year, In March 2020, we look forward to
welcoming our first International Students. We have Jayde Malcolm May
coming from Australia for 4 weeks and we have Paula Tupou coming from
Tonga for 3 weeks. We look forward to welcoming them at a Powhiri in
Whangarei on Saturday the 21st h of March. We hope you can join us.

We finish off Cohort 2018/19, in style and with celebration. On Saturday
the 4th of April, at Ferndale House, Mt Albert, from 5.00pm to 7.30pm, we
will have Achieve 2B’s 2nd Graduation. This promises to be a ceremony
with an exciting guest speaker and an opportunity to celebrate our
Achievers. We look forward to seeing you there.

I am honoured to recently have been appointed by the Board of Trustee
as the Programme Director for Achieve 2B. I welcome the challenge to
further build the Achieve 2B Program. To continue to enable young
people to have a transformational opportunity.

Let’s build on our successes so that the
global wave ripples, enabling young people
with disabilities to continue to define
themselves.

Best Wishes,
Julia Hartshorne - Founder of Achieve 2B.

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Introducing Jayde...

Hi Everyone, my name is exchange student, that I can
Jayde, I am in year 11 VCAL build up some confidence in
and I go to Fairhills high myself, learn more about
school in Victoria, Australia, how other countries are
and I will be coming to NZ in different from the way we
March 2020. are in Australia, hopefully
make some new friends and
The well-being coordinator at try out some new foods.
my school asked me if I
would like the opportunity to I think the thing I am
go over to New Zealand as looking forward to the most,
an exchange student. He told is being in a new country,
me that Achieve 2B is an being away from my
organisation
that works with brothers and
young people sisters, and
with disabilities hopefully
and he thought making some
I would be a new friends,
good candidate and also trying
to go. out some new
foods. Some
I was shocked pictures I have
that I was seen of New
even given the Zealand are
opportunity to pretty, and I
go, but also very excited and hope when
nervous, all at the same outand about, I can see
time. I’ve never been out of some of the beauty of New
Victoria, let alone out of Zealand.
Australia, and I’ve never
even been on a plane! Thanks for having me New
Zealand, and Achieve 2B!

I hope that by going over to
New Zealand, as an

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Reflections: Lola’s Thoughts

My exchange overall was incredible. It was
incredible because I got to build new relationships and build
my confidence. I learned that I was good at making friends
and can make friends.

My highlight was the people. They see life a different way
from a different perspective. I learned that although they
had a different standard of living to the average kiwi, they
had great attitudes of gratitude. This was reflected in the
way they welcomed me and treated me as their own,

My host family was so awesome because they helped me to
learn so much about myself. This helped me to develop
even more self-awareness. I went to the Ocean of Light
School, and I was surprised by the relationship between the
student and the Teacher as it appeared to be of a friend to
friend relationship, than teacher-pupil, like we have in New
Zealand. I did volunteer work at the Ofa Tui Amanaki (OTA)
Centre which is a school for children with disabilities. I
valued my time in getting to know the students and how
they deal with the challenges in their life.

Before I went away, I was shy girl and other people’s
feelings and thoughts about me really affected me. When I
went on my exchange, the
Tongan culture and their
closeness forced me to step
outside my comfort zone. I had
to force myself to socialise with
people I did not know. This
transformed me so that I
developed more confidence and
self awareness in being to think
and act more independently. I
am now able to formulate and
voice my own opinions.

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Reflections from Lola’s Host
Family: The Chens

Having Lola do her exchange with us was one
of the most rewarding and joyful experiences
our family has undertaken. We have in the past
taken on an exchange student from NZ through
our girls’ school but it was for less than a week
at a time. This time around, having Lola with us
for just over five weeks, was totally different
and Lola's personality really grew on us.

Lola was easy to accommodate as she came in

with an open mind and open to new

experiences, whatever came her way. Lola was

great with our three young girls: kind and

The Girls on White Sunday compassionate, but also was able to show them

good consistency and discipline. Her “no” meant

“no” and her “yes” meant “yes”. The girls learned

so much about decision-making from Lola, who

took the time to explore her options before

stating her firm choice. To this day, especially

when we go out for a meal, our girls will look at

the options before they state what they want.

Before we had Lola, they would keep changing

their minds from one meal to another, at times

confusing the wait staff. Now, they are more

confident with

making a

decision. Ice Cream After School

Ute ride to the Beach! We really love Lola and she has become so
much a part of our family.

...continued next page

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Reflections... continued from previous page

The highlight for our family was seeing Lola

being able to make good friends in such a

short period of time. Seeing Lola happy and

enjoying her time in Tonga was very

important for us. So everytime Lola had a Saturday Breakfast
good time and a smile was on her face, that was a

good end to the day for us. I could name a few occasions where seeing Lola

just overly happy, made us so happy. One that stood out in particular, was

her final BBQ and she invited her friends over, anther was her last day, she

had a swimming day followed by dinner with her friends in town, it was

sooooo good seeing Lola very happy. Those were 2 events, to name a few

that I saw Lola just glow with happiness.

Kiwi and Tongan cultures are very different but because we have been in
living in NZ for some time, it was easy for us to understand both and found
there was nothing new that we needed to adjust. We were so pleased and
appreciative of Lola being very open to the Tongan culture, especially in that

prayers and our C hristian life is very
much a central part of our culture. Lola
participated in all our family time
prayers, accompanied us every Sunday
and to the community activities we were
involved in. Lola would just embrace it
too....it was very special for us that she
was willing and it just made things very
easy and enjoyable.

We feel that we have gained another

daughter and an older sister to our girls.

Lola is now a part of our family and we

will never forget her. We have told Lola

With the Cousins at Little Italy Pizzeria that though we may be separated by

waters, any time she wants to come back to Tonga, she is welcome here.

Comments and photos supplied by Nane and Seti Chen

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Student Applications are Now Open! Please download the
application form and complete from this link.
Applications close on the 25th of October. If you have any
queries please contact our Founder, Julia Hartshorne on
0800 223 822 or email [email protected]. We look
forward to receiving your application.

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More details to come

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in the new year!

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