About Us

Get to know the dedicated individuals leading Timatanga Hou's mission to support Afghans in New Zealand.  Each board member brings a unique perspective and expertise to drive positive change within the community.

Our Board

Amina Hasanpur

With over 19 years of diverse professional experience, Amina has dedicated herself to serving Afghan society, particularly focusing on women and girls in Bamyan province. Returning to Afghanistan in 2003 after 20 years in exile in Iran, she embarked on a mission to support those affected by the aftermath of the Taliban regime. Amina's initiatives included establishing the first non-profit private high school, and founding the cultural institution Nawa Selah. In her role as Director of Gender and Social Affairs at the Department of Women's Affairs, and collaborating with organizations like Save the Children and the Aga Khan Foundation, she championed children's rights, women's rights, and gender equality. Amina and her family were forced to evacuate Afghanistan, moving to New Zealand in  2021.

Growing up during the turbulent era of Taliban rule, Gul faced the challenges of a disrupted education and economic instability. At the age of 15, Gul sought refuge in Pakistan, where he continued his education and learned English. In 2002, he returned to Afghanistan and grasped opportunities with organisations such as Global Risk Strategy, the United Nations and the Aga Khan Foundation. He then set up his own travel company, promoting adventure tourism and spearheading initiatives to revive skiing in Afghanistan. One of Gul's most notable achievements was organising Afghanistan's first mixed-gender marathon, a ground-breaking event that promoted inclusivity and unity. He was also heavily involved with the National Ski Federation of Afghanistan. In January 2022, after evacuation from Kabul, Gul and his family came to New Zealand.

Amir Foladi

With a background in International Relations,  Amir founded a local NGO dedicated to education and women's economic empowerment and advised the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Bamyan Governor. Working with the Aga Khan Foundation from 2006 to 2021, he spearheaded multi-million dollar projects focusing on tourism, community and economic empowerment. Amir's commitment to cultural heritage preservation is evident through his activism and membership in the Bamyan International expert working group. In September 2021, Amir relocated with his family to New Zealand and has been actively involved in supporting Afghan immigrants, offering guidance as they navigate their new environment.

Reza Siar

Reza played an important role at Aga Khan Foundation,  enhancing the technical capacities of NGOs and government bodies. In addition, helped build the technical capabilities of the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission, enabling them to oversee the 2014 election. He also worked on administrative reform at the Ministry of Higher Education, a collaborative effort between the United States’ Agency for International Development and the University of Massachusetts. In 2017, he established his own consultancy company, conducting research and evaluations for government entities, as well as national and international NGOs. Reza and his family moved to New Zealand after the Taliban took over. Following a second Master’s Degree at Auckland University of Technology, he transitioned into the field of analytics.

Suzanne Loughlin

Suzanne got to know Afghanistan, Bamyan in particular, first while managing the New Zealand Government aid and development programme and then while working for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Over the decade in which she was involved there, she was warmly welcomed on various trips to see the sights and walk in the mountains and so got to travel widely within Bamyan province. She is very pleased to be part of Timatanga Hou here in Aotearoa and lives she suspects as they do in the hope that one day it might be possible to go again and see more of that beautiful country.

Harriet Sewell

Harriet is currently working as an independent contractor. Her background includes 25 years’ experience working in Programme Advisor and Programme Director roles in the aid and development sector for both international and domestic organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Oxfam and The Leprosy Mission. Harriet began her work with MSF in the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Camps in Hong Kong. Harriet was on the Board of Tear Fund New Zealand for 10 years and on the Board of HELP (Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Foundation) for 5 years.

Alan Sewell

Alan is an environmental consultant with over 30 years international experience working mainly on Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other multilateral funded projects in the Asia and Pacific regions. This included several projects in Afghanistan during 2004-2006 including rehabilitation of power infrastructure in Bamyan province. He traveled widely in Afghanistan and came to love the country’s spectacular scenery and warm-hearted people. Over recent years he has been involved mainly in institutional strengthening of government agencies in environmental safeguards across south and central Asia and the Pacific.

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