Special education students in the College Community School District are running their school food pantry. It’s a way to learn life skills while helping to feed families in the process.
The parallel pandemic: Covid-19 and the mental health impacts on New Zealand young people
3 Apr, 2021 05:00 PM
13 minutes to read
Our pandemic year has given Sharonika Prasad a new perspective on life. Photo / Dean Purcell
When Covid-19 came to New Zealand, and level 4 lockdown abruptly followed, Sharonika Prasad lost much more than just her day-to-day freedom. Aged 19, newly moved out of the home in which she d long carried a heavy load of responsibilities, and starting a degree in occupational therapy at Auckland University of Technology North Shore, Prasad suddenly felt robbed of the milestones she d just passed. At home I m helping my dad with running the house, paying the bills … and [paying off] his big debt. I do the cooking, cleaning, and then I was going to my mum s and doing some for her too.