Waimakariri migrant family plants trees to give back to community
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Life in North Canterbury is a world away from growing up in post-revolution Iran.
Rohiyeh Faramarzi and her family have lived in Woodend for 20 years and wanted to give back to their adopted community by planting trees.
Working with the Waimakariri District Council’s greenspace team, Faramarzi was able to develop a planting project that led to a tree planting day at Rangiora’s Dudley Park last Saturday, August 27.
“With the support of the Waimakariri District Council, we have been able to create an ongoing dialogue about how we can contribute bycreating spaces in our parks where people and families can come and gather.”
Faramarzi fled her home country to escape her family’s persecution due to their Baha’i Faith.
“The persecution of the Baha’is affected the way Baha'i families and my family went about their lives.
“After the Iranian revolution, persecution intensified and Baha'is no longer had any civil rights or freedoms.
“Baha'is were arrested on false charges, land was confiscated, businesses were closed, and young Baha'is were banned from entering university.”
She moved to India where she met her husband, Shahriar Faramarzi, and after the birth of their first child they decided to move ‘‘toa smaller, quieter and more peaceful country’’.
In New Zealand, the couple’s two daughters have studied at university, completing law and engineering degrees – something Faramarzi was unable to do in Iran.
Their Baha’i Faith has always been important to them and teaches the importance of serving “communities to uplift them and make them better”.
Last year the couple decided to do something to mark 100 years since the passing of Abdu’l-Baha, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Baha’i Faith.
Faramarzi said she was inspired to think about the natural environment, leading to the tree planting project.
“Planting trees really comes from a desire to uplift and beautify our shared surroundings. Our environment reminds us how connected we are as a human family.
“We all benefit from a healthy, safe environment and we also have a responsibility to contribute to it.”
Think You Know It All? Try Solving This First!
How can you make 30 using only the numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 with each number only used once?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Are you keeping it old school?
We know that things come back around, look at vinyl records!
Do you still use any old-school technology (like landlines or VHS tapes) at home?
Let us know in the comments.
The Riddler wants to hear from you! 🎉
Our daily riddles have been a fun way to start the day and spark some friendly competition, but we’re thinking about mixing things up—and we’d love your input!
What do you enjoy most about the riddles? Is it the brain-teasing puzzles, the themed photos, or the big reveal in the afternoon?
If you could tweak one thing, what would it be? Maybe you’d like harder riddles, different themes, or see riddles in a different style or format!
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Your ideas could help shape the next chapter of our riddles! 🧩
Loading…
