On Tuesday, 22 August, Diya Kansara (Y10) presented a speech to a Rotary Takapuna meeting at Takapuna Normal Intermediate School. The audience included board members of the Rotary Club, including President Barbara Morgan; Toastmasters International member Katrina Matich; Principal of TNIS Zane Wilson; Deputy Principal of TNIS Sandy Harford; Food Technology teacher at TNIS Tony Dooley; and Chefs for Compassion Founder Marty Smith.

This meeting focused on an organisation for adolescents in Aotearoa that is currently under Rotary Birkenhead called Chefs for Compassion. In the Rotary meeting Diya attended, participants reflected on the organisation’s initiatives to protect others from bullying and contribute to meaningful change within communities.

Chefs For Compassion was founded in 2010. It teaches students how to be compassionate under pressure, how and why they should all work to be kind, allows them to cook in a positive environment with their peers, and helps shape the leaders of tomorrow. Diya joined in 2020 while she was at intermediate school.

“I was stunned at the fact that you could show compassion in the kitchen, but within just a few weeks of joining the programme, I realised that you could and should show kindness everywhere – in any way you can. While my two years in the programme were hindered by COVID-19 and the worldwide disruptions it caused, I learned so much about how to encourage and contribute to meaningful and positive change within communities. Because of this incredible programme and the arsenal of values and experiences I have gained, I was encouraged to think and dig deeper into problems that continue to affect people worldwide.”

– Diya Kansara