About Us
If you want to know more about us, you’re in the right place!!
Mission
Southland Hindi school provides an education in a collaborative, nurturing environment for the community of bilingual students with a wide range of talents, backgrounds and abilities. Students develop self-worth, the confidence to take intellectual risks, an appreciation of diversity of all kinds, and the ability to work cooperatively. Students become independent, self-aware learners ready for global and local citizenship.
Vision
We live in a dynamic and global community where achievement comes not only from knowing, but also for connection and from knowing who they are. Southland Hindi School values, celebrates, and respects diversity in race, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic means, abilities, affinities, and learning strengths. We strive to create a safe environment without judgment, where students can recognize their self-worth, and appreciate all others as contributing members of the global and local community.
Objectives
To teach Hindi language to the children and adults of the Southland community.
To develop an understanding and enhance the learners’ awareness of Indian culture including values, traditions, art, music and dance.
To develop an understanding and enhance the learners’ awareness of Indian culture including values, traditions, art, music and dance.
To promote a positive attitude towards Hindi Language and Bilingualism.
To widen and strengthen cultural and social network of Hindi speaking children, youth and adults in Southland area.
Our story
Southland Hindi school is a sub-part of Southland Migrant Walking Together Organisation with the aims and objectives of imparting Hindi language and connecting children with their heritage to enable them to feel confident and competent in who they are and from where they come from. It is an integration of Indian heritage and Kiwi values needed to be confident and competent community member of future. Himani Galbraith is the Chair /Director of the Trust. She decided to operate from Invercargill as it is a growing and prospering town and we have growing numbers of Indian community which often feels lonely and disconnected from their home land and current community they are living in. She started this with the intention of feeling this gap and bringing them together with the medium of language, art and culture. Furthermore, she has seen parents struggling to teach their children mother tongue and somewhere in between these children find themselves in a situation questioning about their identity and not
feeling proud of who they are. As a teacher in New Zealand for more than 6 years, she has seen that this struggle could be real and sometimes children become easily vulnerable to bullying and lack in self confidence.
She started Hindi School in 2019 with 5 students. WE are now having 16 children enrolled and attending Hindi Classes and 5 children in the play group. Play group is for children ages 2-6 years old, and Hindi classes are from Ages 6 year on-wards. We are following the curriculum adopted by Wellington Hindi School, and I have got some resources to adapt to the needs of children attending New Zealand schooling system as we want to in line with that. We are running our classes form
Invercargill City Library once in a week for 2.5 Hours including session for dance and drama. We also talk around parenting issues and help the new migrants in connecting with the organizations which could be a help and make them aware of
the general laws of the kiwi land. It is currently delivered by one teacher including Himani, and two volunteers. As a Charity, we depend on Funding and donations.
Himani says that she could see the visible difference in her parents and students. They feel more connected and more confidence and becoming more resilient .They are now participating in the community events and becoming an integral part of the community by making their presence felt and being bilingual helps them in processing things fast and inculcate respect for other languages and other cultures. Moreover, children learns best when they feel belonged and connected to their heritage.
“Our children have performed last year in various community events and felt valued as well as part of the community. It was a huge challenge in the starting as people were connecting Hindi Language with the Hindu religion. However, I believe every thing starts with educating people and I keep persevering it to send by correct message across.” Himani Galbraith
Southland Hindi School has been supported by local community , Parents , ILT foundation, Community Trust south, Invercargill City Library, Ms Sunita Narayan, Family works and Himani’s husband Martin Galbraith.
Himani says “My message to parents will be, never forget, you are A Kiwi Citizen with an Indian Heritage .Our children learning must be rooted in their heritage to give them strongbase to grow and develop.”
We are proudly supported by
