5 May, 2010
I first met Shaukat Zamani in 2003 when he was serving as the President of the Afghan Association of New Zealand. I was very impressed with his leadership and his devotion to his community.
Shaukat has discussed with me his project, HAE, to provide young Afghan men and women work-focused education.
Being originally from Pakistan and having the honour to be the first Muslim Member of Parliament in New Zealand, I understand and value the importance of modern education in the context of the Developing World, and the limitless world of opportunities it opens for the young people.
Projects like HAE can succeed because of the strong vision and leadership qualities of the initiators. Shaukat has a strong vision and a proven track record of devoted leadership.
I fully support Shaukat’s vision of HAE and urge New Zealanders and others to support this cause so that one day we can all celebrate the important contributions we made to the development of Afghanistan by giving its young people the opportunity to attain good education and training.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary QSO
Member of Parliament
I met Shaukat Zamani just over three years ago during a real estate course. It didn’t take me very long to realise how strong Shaukat’s passion for his native Afghanistan was. He looked like a man on a mission wanting to bring positive changes to Afghanistan. This notion was reinforced as our friendship grew.
When Shaukat asked me recently to join the Board of the organisation he was forming to assist education in Afghanistan, HAE, I felt honoured. Maybe partly because I share Shaukat’s vision in that we have a role to play in making a difference to the lives of those less privileged than us, especially the peoples of the Developing World.
We are all connected, with that in retrospect, we all have to make the choice and take responsibility and close the gap between people and nations. HAE is that one stepping stone in bringing that gap closer together, it is the first organization from New Zealand which is dedicated to young Afghanistan men and women to express creativity within themselves, provide an education and make sure that young Afghans have a choice for their future in their country which has been war torn and in extreme poverty for as long as they can remember.
I remember meeting three brothers while visiting Aswan in Egypt who lived in a village opposite the town centre. They didn't have a pen to write with, yet only on the other side of the Nile I could see tourists spending hundreds of dollars on hotels for the night. With that saying I was a tourist, a simple one, yet I couldn't help but to be disgraced with how things were so unequal and how we could help with the most simple aspects and gestures like providing a pen to every single child to establish the beginning of literacy and an education which is not impossible, especially from rich countries like New Zealand and others.
We have to identify ourselves and collaborate one by one and make a difference and that difference has to start now, because we simply are the generation that determines tomorrow and we have to take responsibility within our actions and words, because there is no one else but us.
Joanna Carswell
Aspiring NZ Documentary filmmaker & HAE Board Member
I have known Shaukat Zamani for the past 19 years.
I have not known a more devoted person to the cause of Afghanistan, a devotion that is imbued with full integrity. The level of hard work and commitment that Shaukat has shown to the Afghan community in New Zealand, and his belief in his cause in Afghanistan is inspiring to many of us Afghans.
Being one of the first Afghans to have arrived in New Zealand – I have lived in New Zealand for the past 26 years – I fully support Shaukat for the cause of raising support for HAE.
I wholeheartedly accepted his invitation for me to become a board member and Deputy Chairman of HAE and am committing NZD $20,000 towards the cause of HAE, hopefully with more to come in the future.
Afghanistan and its people need help. We need to support young leaders such as Shaukat who is determined to bring change to Afghanistan through modern education.
Please support Help Afghan Education!
Nasser Nassery
Director Kowhai Painting Company & HAE Board Member
25 May, 2010
I met Shaukat Zamani in December 2007 when he became the owner of Harcourts real estate in Mt Albert, Auckland, where I was working as a real estate sales consultant.
Working close to Shaukat and during our personal discussions I learnt that although Shaukat and I come from different backgrounds, we have similar thoughts and aspirations about helping less fortunate people. We both went our separate paths but kept in touch to discuss business ventures and our aspirations.
Over the last few years working with Shaukat and getting to know him, I was impressed with his leadership, dedication and devotion to all the projects that he decided to take on. More than that, I was astound by his ability to gather around him a team of people who would help him accomplish the job.
Shaukat’s vision with Help Afghan Education is massive but I have a strong belief that he is capable of achieving the vision.
Gary Barzilay
Real Estate Sales Consultant
Ray White Real estate Kingsland
