Meet our Board

Vijeshni Rattan

Head of school

I joined Wellington Hindi School in 2007 as I felt I could contribute to Hindi education especially for our young people. Bringing up own child gave me an opportunity to keep myself refreshed in Hindi. I work at Early Years as a head teacher and am actively involved at Hare Krishna and their Bal Vikash Programme. I am passionate about keeping my culture and identity life which I achieve by teaching at Hindi School and working with other Indian organisations.

Sunita Narayan

Chairperson

My ONE Vision for New Zealand: Our people have appropriate opportunities to be themselves.I am married to Dev, with two daughters Srishti & Anuksha. I joined Wellington Hindi School in 1995 and am passionate about preparing young minds for the future. With a colleague, I founded the Bharatiya Bhasha evam Shodh Sansthan (Indian Languages and Research Foundation). I create teaching and learning resources, publish in international journals and regularly present at conferences on culture maintenance and my experiences in education in a community-based environment. As the president of Community Languages Association of New Zealand, I lead/collaborate projects that are aimed at building heritage language capability. I’m a Human Resource professional specialising in people capability development. I love to catch up with friends over chai, research and write about my multi-faceted heritage, write for children, teach driving to migrant women, coach young people & migrants for employment, and support several NGOs and Charities in advisory roles.

Darpad Pednekar

Student Representative

Namaste, my name is Darpad and I am a student at Otaki College. I am interested in learning, sharing and trying new things. Sometimes I have realised even though my friends/people know Hindi they don’t like talking in Hindi: which makes me feel sad. This is why I decided to become a student rep for the Wellington Hindi school to promote our beautiful language. In my time of being a student rep, I am also excited to learn and become part of new leadership roles. In the past I have shared my Hindi ways with many of my classmates and with wider community in different platforms like Holi, Diwali, and multicultural programs. I hope that I will serve Hindi School by giving new ideas which I think are interesting and will help to build Hindi skills. Jai hind🙏

Harsh Vardhan

Associate Chairperson

I am a public servant and programme manager with several years of experience in healthcare and governance.I am former president, tangata tiriti of New Zealand's national association of occupational therapists. I come from a Hindi speaking background from Bihar, India, and am passionate about promoting Hindi.

Sonakshi Sharma

Principal

नमस्ते,

My name is Sonakshi Sharma, presently the school principal at Wellington Hindi school and a full time Mathematics Teacher at an Upper Hutt based College. I hold Bachelor of Education and Master of Science (Maths) degrees.

I joined Wellington Hindi School as soon as I came to New Zealand in late 2018. Since then, it has been so satisfying and enriching experience teaching my mother tongue Hindi to younger generations. I originally hail from New Delhi, India and come from a family of teachers.

With a passion for education and a commitment to excellence, I strive to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment for our students. I am honoured to work with a team of dedicated teachers and staff who share my vision of fostering linguistic and cultural proficiency in Hindi. Together, we aim to inspire our students to become culturally strong, confident, responsible, and compassionate individuals who will make a positive impact in their communities.

धन्यवाद 🙏

Harshaa Prasad

Secretary

Ramram, bula and namaste. My name is Harshaa Prasad. I was born in Fiji and have lived in Aotearoa for most of my life. My mum was my first Hindi teacher, and I'm proud to be on the WHS Board, enabling others, especially our next generation, to learn their mother tongue. I love music too and am currently learning kathak as a new way to experience music and rhythm.

Parnesh Sharma

Associate Secretary

Born and raised in Fiji in a Hindi-speaking family, I have had a lifelong connection with the Hindi language and Indian culture. This passion has inspired my commitment to preserving and promoting our language and heritage for future generations.

I bring extensive experience in governance, education, finance, and community service. Over the years, I have served as Treasurer of Nadi Arya Samaj & Commercial Properties and Nadi Arya Samaj Primary School, Executive Member of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji, and a member of Finance, Tender, and Salary Review Committees.

I also served for over ten years on the Council of the University of Fiji, where I chaired the Audit and Disciplinary Committees and also being a member of the Finance and Tender Committees.

Since moving to New Zealand, I have continued my community involvement and currently serve as President of Arya Samaj Wellington and as one of the Purohits as well.

As Associate Secretary and Board Member of Wellington Hindi School, I am honoured to support the school's mission of promoting Hindi language learning, cultural awareness, and community engagement, helping future generations stay connected to their heritage.

Alok Gautam

Treasurer

I currently work in the banking sector with one of New Zealand's largest banks. Before moving into banking, I held leadership roles as a Retail Store Manager in New Zealand and as a Manager with insurance companies in Delhi, India.

Originally from Delhi, India, I come from a Hindi-speaking family and take great pride in my linguistic and cultural heritage. I am a parent of two children. My elder child is in high school and is fluent in Hindi, while my younger child, who is five years old, will soon begin learning at Wellington Hindi School to strengthen his connection with his mother tongue, Hindi (Matr Bhasha).

I am deeply passionate about promoting and preserving the Hindi language. Living overseas, I believe that Hindi schools play a vital role in helping children remain connected to their language, culture, and traditions. Wellington Hindi School provides an excellent platform for the next generation to develop confidence in speaking Hindi while fostering a strong sense of cultural identity and belonging.

Sharan Ram

Associate Treasurer

Ram Ram! My name is Sharan. I am currently a board member of Wellington Hindi School and work at Massey University. Originally from Fiji, I have also taught Hindi at the Junior Secondary School level in Fiji.

As someone of Indian heritage living outside of India, I take great pride in my ability to speak and write Hindi fluently. Knowing Hindi is not only a part of my cultural identity but also strengthens me spiritually, as it enables me to read Hindu religious texts and other literature.

I am dedicated to the advancement of the Hindi language and am committed to doing all I can to promote it as I believe we all derive the great values from our scriptures.