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Hafsa Ahmed
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TitleHafsa AhmedCollectionFaces of SelwynDescriptionHafsa Ahmed shares her journey to Christchurch on a cold winters morning from India’s warm climate to study her PHD at Lincoln University in 2007 and how this lead to calling Selwyn home. Hafsa tells stories about her experience as a Muslim in New Zealand, fulfilling projects for her Lady Khadija Charitable Trust and establishing her own podcast; Open Table at PlainsFM.
On one warm day in India with a temperature of 35 degrees, Hafsa Ahmed and her family had their bags packed for a one way trip to New Zealand, to complete her PHD at Lincoln University.
She says the change in climate was a bit of a shock.
“I came to New Zealand, straight to Christchurch on a winter’s morning from 35 degrees to 11 degrees average. We’ve never experienced, when we were in India anything close to this winter.”
Since arriving in 2007, Hafsa has worked for several different organisations across Canterbury, including her current role lecturing at Lincoln University.
Through the Lady Khadija Charitable Trust she founded five years ago, Hafsa volunteers in the community, taking on several projects focusing on social cohesion.
After the March 15 terrorist attack, Hafsa established her own podcast Open Table on PlainsFM.
Each episode talks to people of different faiths, covering a range of difficult topics and finding a common ground.
“For me it’s about grass root level, so the fact that we can influence change and allow people to have that reflection, even with the podcast, it’s not telling them this is what you need to do, it’s a conversation so they can listen to it and do that reflection on their own.”
Being born into a Muslim family, Hafsa said at first it was hard to understand, but coming to New Zealand helped her to rediscover her faith.
“When I would travel to Selwyn pretty much every day for my Uni I would get that time to reflect and that has strengthened me in my faith.”
Moving to Selwyn two years ago, from Christchurch suburbs Woolston and Riccarton, Hafsa says she enjoys being away from the busy roads.
“That reminded us how nice it is to live in a peaceful and quieter suburb.”
And while Hafsa hasn’t got used to New Zealand’s cold winters, she says she doesn’t miss the traffic or the hot Indian summers.
“I don’t think I would trade one for the other, if we would look at it that way. I miss it at times when I’m home sick especially when it’s festival time, you miss the whole experience of festivities… but there are times when we go, oh thank god we are here because summer is like very hot there, you’re hitting 45 degrees!”
CreatorHayley TateDate2021Runtime24.37
On one warm day in India with a temperature of 35 degrees, Hafsa Ahmed and her family had their bags packed for a one way trip to New Zealand, to complete her PHD at Lincoln University.
She says the change in climate was a bit of a shock.
“I came to New Zealand, straight to Christchurch on a winter’s morning from 35 degrees to 11 degrees average. We’ve never experienced, when we were in India anything close to this winter.”
Since arriving in 2007, Hafsa has worked for several different organisations across Canterbury, including her current role lecturing at Lincoln University.
Through the Lady Khadija Charitable Trust she founded five years ago, Hafsa volunteers in the community, taking on several projects focusing on social cohesion.
After the March 15 terrorist attack, Hafsa established her own podcast Open Table on PlainsFM.
Each episode talks to people of different faiths, covering a range of difficult topics and finding a common ground.
“For me it’s about grass root level, so the fact that we can influence change and allow people to have that reflection, even with the podcast, it’s not telling them this is what you need to do, it’s a conversation so they can listen to it and do that reflection on their own.”
Being born into a Muslim family, Hafsa said at first it was hard to understand, but coming to New Zealand helped her to rediscover her faith.
“When I would travel to Selwyn pretty much every day for my Uni I would get that time to reflect and that has strengthened me in my faith.”
Moving to Selwyn two years ago, from Christchurch suburbs Woolston and Riccarton, Hafsa says she enjoys being away from the busy roads.
“That reminded us how nice it is to live in a peaceful and quieter suburb.”
And while Hafsa hasn’t got used to New Zealand’s cold winters, she says she doesn’t miss the traffic or the hot Indian summers.
“I don’t think I would trade one for the other, if we would look at it that way. I miss it at times when I’m home sick especially when it’s festival time, you miss the whole experience of festivities… but there are times when we go, oh thank god we are here because summer is like very hot there, you’re hitting 45 degrees!”
CreatorHayley TateDate2021Runtime24.37
Hayley Tate, Hafsa Ahmed (2021). Selwyn Stories, accessed 26/06/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/4263