OUR TEAM

Kathy Lowe

Kathy

HI, my name is Kathy Lowe. I am married, have 2 children and Im super passionate about this mahi! Im also a nurse and I work at Te Puaruruhau which is the child protection service for Auckland District Health Board. So Im super keen to reduce the number of people I see in my job as a nurse, by educating young people on how to have safe and respectful relationships. As well as working I love sewing and being outside in the fresh air.
Therese

Therèse

I am Therèse, I am from Tāmaki Makaurau and I have been travelling the world and living abroad in the UK for the last 7 years. Coming back to Aotearoa has been awesome, because I have been able to join the RPE team! It is such a fun job, I love talking to young people about consent, relationships and respect and listening to them share their ideas and feelings. When I am not facilitating classes I work as a counsellor and am studying at university. I started working at RPE because I want to be part of the prevention of sexual violence, work with rangatahi and keep learning about different aspects of sexuality and relationships 🙂
Renée

Renée

Kia ora! Nō Waitematā ahau He kaupapa kaiako taku mahi Kei Titirangi ahau e noho ana Ko Renee taku ingoa Hey! I’m Renée & I’m an educator at BodySafe. I love hanging out with our students and having great conversations about how we can all be safe in our communities and relationships. When I’m not working, you’ll find me at the beach, chillin’ with my cat Triangle or cooking up a storm, I make a mean lasagne. Ngā mihi.
zac

Zac

What matters to me most are my relationships. I’m tight with my tokorua tuāhine as well as my mā & pā. In terms of mahi, I’m keen on listening to others, how they feel & what their story is. I also have a specific interest in perceptions of masculinity for men. My hobbies include surfing, football, coffee, fitness, music, creative writing. Mauri ora e te iwi!
sylvia

Sylvia

Kia ora! I'm Sylvia and I have been a casual educator at RPE since early 2020. I moved to Tāmaki Makaurau from Ōtautahi - Christchurch where I grew up, for this amazing job opportunity. Finishing high school it was my dream to get involved in spreading awareness and positive messaging around healthy sex and relationships. This combined with a passion for social justice and ending sexual violence, lead me to Otago University where I did a degree in Gender Studies, something I am so happy to get to put to use every day in this mahi. Outside of work my main hobbies are cooking, dancing and spending time with my friends. You'll often find me in the kitchen cooking up storm, blasting music and dancing away. Ngā mihi!
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Nela

Kia ora, I’m Nela and I’m from Czechia. I am super passionate about healthy sexual and romantic relationships and I’m a huge believer in the mahi we do here at Bodysafe. I also study psychology and volunteer on Shout, which is a UK-based crisis helpline. I love to exercise – currently, I’m into aerial silks and bouldering, which is funny cause I am terrified of heights. My all-time fave hobby though is singing karaoke when nobody is at home. I sound great in my head. Others don’t seem to enjoy it as much.
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Ishan

Hey, what’s good? My name’s Ishan and I'm an educator on the BodySafe team. It’s a pretty cool job, getting talking relationships and respect with young people all over Auckland is always a fun time. Before Bodysafe I studied Politics at Auckland Uni, and before that I was busy putting in them hours at Hamilton Boys High School. Big ups to the Tron. When I’m not working, I spend my time skating, watching/obsessing over film, and I read comic books. I love comics. Probs a bit too much. It’s an issue. I’m not working on it.
Lucia

Lucia

Kia Ora!! My name is Lucia and I am from Austin Texas, yeehaw etc. I am a recent addition to the RPE educators team and already love the mahi heaps. Preventative work is my jam and when I’m not at RPE, Uni, or the Anxiety Clinic you can find me walking on the beach, making dioramas, tinkering at my dad’s blacksmith studio, or working the pottery wheel.

Tashina

Ko Taupiri te Maunga, Ko Waikato te Awa, Ko Tainui te Waka, Ko Waikato te Iwi, Ngati Mahuta te Hapu, Potatu te Tangata, Te Puea te Marae, Ko Tashina Whaanga ahau. Nga mihi nui kia koutou. Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. Born in Auckland, Tashina grew up being the oldest of six girls who attended Epsom Girls Grammar School. Tashina graduated from the Bachelor of Social Services in Bi-Culturalism and as a hobby passed a number of vehicle licensing tests to allow her to drive big trucks which she enjoys. Tashina loves working with young Tauira in Auckland and helping them strive for the best in life and becoming the leaders of tomorrow. She encourages youth to aim high now to become the individuals they want to be in the future. “Ko te mutunga oranga, he timatanga kaha” (Winning starts with a strong beginning).
sam

Sam

Sam has been an RPE educator for ten years now - wow so long, why are you still here Sam??? Because I love it!!! I get to do two awesome jobs - doing actings on the TV, and talking to young people about consent and healthy sexual relationships - dream life! I also got to write those two amazing short films you watch in Bodysafe classes - cool awesome fun times! I’m a graduate of both Victoria University (Philosophy) and Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School (Acting), and apart from my wife, my baby son child, my family / friends, and my cat, my favourite things are theme parks and chocolate.
gina

Gina

Kia ora! I'm Gina, a casual educator at RPE since early 2020. As a massive nerd, I'm into board games, computer games, fantasy novels, and Dungeons and Dragons. I'm originally from Hamilton, but I've lived in Christchurch, and I'm now in central Auckland. I'm currently doing a PhD in psychology, with a focus on consensual non-monogamy. RPE has an awesome team of wonderful people, and I feel so incredibly lucky to work with and learn from them all.
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Nishhza

Nishhza is a Malaysian-born Tamil whose ancestry traces back to Jaffna, Sri Lanka and Tanjavour, in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She is the proud daughter of migrant parents and a grateful older sibling for her brilliant big-hearted younger sister. Few things feel more fun to Nishhza than the opportunity to work and hang out with young people. Nishhza believes in the liberatory potential of education and in casting spells to bring collective emancipation from the colonial capitalist patriarchy.