Kiwibank recognises the community contributions of six Manawatū residents

Feilding paratriathlete Shaz Dagg competed in last year's Coast to Coast, New Zealand's toughest multisport competition. Photo / Supplied

Six outstanding Manawatū residents have been named Kiwibank Local Hero medallists.

Ali Muhammad is reducing barriers to sport participation for young refugees. Originally from Afghanistan, he came to New Zealand in 2015 as a refugee, and since then has volunteered his time with numerous sports bodies.

In 2021, Muhammad the organised refugee sports pilot programme SportsFest. This took care of the costs and travel arrangements for 45 young people from three refugee communities to participate in sports together. He has now set up Thrive Foundation, which aims to help 100 refugee rangatahi to take up educational and social opportunities through scholarships.

Amy Hunt (centre) is a Kiwibank Local Hero medallist. She is pictured performing in Act Three Productions' All Together Now! last year. Photo / Ben Pryor Photography

Singing and being together are what drives community choir organiser Amy Hunt. The professional musician has created a space for anyone in her community to come and be part of the life-affirming experience of music. Her kaupapa of inclusivity has built friendships throughout the community, and provided real support to people in times of difficulty. The annual charity concert she arranges donates all proceeds to mental health organisations.

Dr Ellen Nelson used all her networks and knowledge to bring 563 Afghan evacuees to live safely in New Zealand. A former captain in the New Zealand Army, she served with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan province; she never forgot the local people she worked with and they never forgot her.

When the Taliban seized the country in 2021, those people who had supported the New Zealand Army became immediate targets. More than 40 of her former colleagues reached out to her, seeking assistance.

Going bush and teaching women to hunt is the mahi of Pania Te-Paiho Marsh. Creating self-sufficiency for wāhine, she runs Wāhine Toa Hunting, a programme teaching life skills and building confidence for women through free hunting classes. She also runs support groups for rangatahi who are struggling.

Rangi Mātāmua is Professor of Mātauranga Māori at Massey University. Photo / Supplied

For 20 years Professor Rangi Mātāmua’s pioneering research into Matariki has led to rejuvenated interest in the transit of the stars. An educator, author and advocate, he’s been part of the movement to reinstate Matariki into the cultural fabric of Aotearoa and has been instrumental in the establishment of the first public holiday.

Educating communities and spreading his knowledge, Mātāmua is a compelling orator and communicator. His Living by the Stars videos have reached thousands across social media and his two books on Matariki have helped to capture and share knowledge with a broad audience.

Advocating for those with disabilities has been Shaz Dagg’s role since experiencing a nasty accident. Working on a goat farm in 2016, her arm was crushed by a gate - which after many surgeries had to be amputated above her elbow. Used to a highly active life, Dagg was not going to be slowed down. Getting involved in sport changed her, she loved the socialising and sense of achievement it brought her. In 2021 she became the first female amputee to complete the Coast to Coast race.

Dagg is the sport development adviser for Parafed Manawatū, providing opportunities for sport, fitness and connection for youth and those with disabilities.

“Sport has helped me in so many ways, from meeting others to achievements and becoming a role model for all the youth I work for,” she says.

”I may only have one wing but I can still fly.”

One-hundred Kiwibank Local Hero medallists were named nationwide, part of the 2023 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award.

Individually, they are everyday people having a meaningful impact in their respective communities, Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich says. Collectively, these outstanding individuals remind us of the true spirit of New Zealand.

The medallists are in the running for the Local Hero of the Year Award, which recognises everyday people doing extraordinary things in their communities over the past year.

Semi-finalists for this award, and the six other award categories, will be announced in mid-December.

The Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year and supporting category winners will be announced on March 30.