For the upcoming Hutt City, Wellington Mayoral elections in September, Prabha Ravi will be contesting as an independent candidate. She will be the first female candidate of South Asian origin to have earned this opportunity.
She moved to New Zealand in 1999 with her husband and two children. Since then, throughout her career history, she has been exercising proficiency in both governance and managerial roles. She had been working with New Zealand’s education institutes and promoting their businesses around the world. Being the chairperson of the Hutt Valley District Health Board Consumer Council and a board member of Cricket Wellington are some of the many occasions she demonstrated her skills in governance. Surely, her academic background in Master of Public Administration had been helpful in these engagements.
Apart from her career, dancing has been her passion. Within three weeks of arriving in Aotearoa, she started the Natraj School of Dance where she teaches the traditional Indian dance art of Bharatanatyam. Today, many students from various cultures and backgrounds learn under her.
Prabha has a special connection with Sri Lanka as well. In 1981, under the invitation of then president Mr. J.R Jayawardene, and in 1993 she performed Bharatanatyam in Sri Lanka. During these visits, she had the opportunity to perform at the prestigious Lionel Wendt Theatre. Then again from 2006 to 2015, she visited Sri Lanka to promote New Zealand education and recruit students.
As a candidate for the Mayoral elections, she focuses on three major policies. Financial discipline of the city council’s spending, infrastructure and transport development, and vibrant communities where she will be focusing on bringing more festivals and events to the city.
For more details about Prabha, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576327730776
https://www.linkedin.com/company/prabha-ravi-for-mayor-of-lower-hutt/
https://www.instagram.com/prabharaviformayoroflowerhutt/
By Thulitha Abayawardana – Auckland
