New nurse finds therapy in prayer
For Shiv Chand, it’s all about the four walls of health - ‘‘And the house won’t stand without the spiritual wall.’’ David James talks to the NMIT graduate about a big year for his family.
A very new Kiwi family is celebrating the holidays in their own way – by looking back on their achievements since moving to New Zealand in 2010.
And the Chands definitely have reason to celebrate.
It’s been seven years since they shifted their lives from their homeland in Fiji. It is also Saras and Sunita’s 35th wedding anniversary this year, after tying the knot at the age of 18.
They also officially received their New Zealand citizenship, making them certified Kiwis.
Another achievement to celebrate, is their son Shiv Chand graduating from nursing school at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology with some very special honours.
This year Shiv’s love of healthcare meant he was garnered with not only a nursing degree, but a korowai by the Ma¯ori community. His story of how he got here is not your usual tale.
The Fijian-born Indian’s affinity for Ma¯ori culture meant first he would have to become part of the Ma¯ori Student Nurses Union at school. ‘‘After going to Marlborough Boys’ College, I went to work at one of the local rest homes,’’ Shiv Chand says. ‘‘After three years, I wanted to study. So I went to NMIT and I studied a Bachelor of Nursing. It was there that I became part of the Maori Student Nurses Union.
‘‘I had to struggle a little bit to get into the union, mainly because they asked, ‘How do you belong to the Ma¯ori Student Nurses Union?’
‘‘And I said, ‘because I ama Pacific Islander’, and under the treaty privileges both Ma¯ori and Pacific Islanders are recognised.
‘‘I had to somewhat fight, but I was only fighting for my right. And I got in, which then led me to attend a hui in Whanganui, and I spent three nights at Ratana Pa Marae. And that was an amazing experience. I got to learn a lot about Ma¯ori culture.’’
And it was his interest in Ma¯ori that got him the korowai.
‘‘I was talking to my next-door neighbour who is Ma¯ori and actively involved in the Ma¯ori community. And I told her about my experience, and she said, ‘I will make you a korowai for your graduation’. Sadly, though, she fell ill before she could give it to me. It was very sudden. And now she can’t remember things too well. And she was sitting in her rest home one afternoon, having a cup of tea, and she said to her daughter, ‘Oh, Shiv my neighbour! Go home, there is a korowai in the cupboard at home’.
‘‘So the daughter managed to get the korowai to me in time for my graduation. So that korowai is very special to me.’’ Shiv says that while his enthusiasm for science and modern medicine has led him to considering taking on a Masters at NMIT, he also recognises that spirituality can play a role in someone’s health and wellbeing.
‘‘Spirituality is of great importance. And the Te Whare Tapa Wha¯ model (the Ma¯ori holistic model of health) tells us that with the four walls of the house – family, mental, physical and spiritual – unless you have all four walls of the house strong, the house won’t stand. And the house won’t stand without the spiritual wall.’’ It is Shiv Chand’s own religious observances and interactions with various other cultures that has nurtured his own outlook to health.
‘‘I mean I have my own belief. And each and every morning I pray. I get up, have a shower and go into the prayer room and then carry on with the day. And if we don’t pray, we feel like there’s something missing. It’s a routine. Like people go to the gym.
‘‘I have worked with people from many cultures and many faiths. And I have a very strong belief that people should be allowed to practice their beliefs in a therapeutic context. If they believe that prayer will do something, then they should be able to pray. I know that medicine has a role to play, but then, prayer is very important and very strong.’’ It is also the holiday season for the Kiwi-Fijian-Indian clan. The family practices Hinduism and that means that while they have been putting a Christmas tree up lately, they also get together to celebrate Diwali, this year on October 19.
‘‘Christians celebrate Christmas and we celebrate Diwali,’’ Shiv Chand says. ‘‘And that’s when we exchange gifts, get together and have a massive gathering of food, people and fireworks, and light up the house.’’
But, not unlike many other Kiwis, the Chands will still celebrate Christmas with ‘‘lots of food’’. ‘‘This year we will probably have a barbecue and have a turkey, because we don’t eat beef and pork. It’s a big thing in New Zealand to have a ham, but we will settle for the turkey.’’
Sean O’Connor Music, Seamus’s Irish Bar, PIcton, Friday, January 12, from 8.30pm and Saturday, December 13, 8.30pm - 11.30pm
Sunday Jazz, Join Heather Jamieson at Chateau Marlborough poolside and enjoy a relaxing summer afternoon catching up with family or friends at our outdoor bar before enjoying dinner at our Quench Restaurant. Sunday, December 31, 4pm - 6pm, and every Sunday until the end of February.
Paul Ubana Jones - The Long Lunch Session. Al fresco long lunch by Chef Bradley Hornby with music by the legendary Paul Ubana Jones. Seating between 12.30pm and 1pm. Email - liz@arbour.co.nz. Thursday, January 4, 1pm - 4.30pm. Tickets $95.
Dub Cymatics NZ Tour, Two independently touring loop musicians, Erinsphere (NZ) and Sid Berry (NSW) link pedals (think Tash Sultana and Ed Sheeran together) and then mix acoustic and electronic instruments (guitar, clarinet, keys, and trumpet) with drum samples and beatboxing to create everything from dubby reggae soundscapes to thumping live dance tracks. Friday, January 5, 2018, 7pm - 11pm. The Yard Bar, Blenheim.
Album Documentary NZ Tour
Album Documentary NZ Tour, Le Cafe, Picton, Saturday, January 6, from 9pm. Entry $5.
Midnight Vagaries Play Soul/Folk/ Jazz at Le Cafe in Picton, Tuesday, January 9, from 8pm. Entry $5.
‘‘Unless you have all four walls of the house strong, the house won’t stand. And the house won’t stand without the spiritual wall.’’ Shiv Chand