Our people

Trustees

Lena Yang

Chair

Lena is from China and was an English teacher. Her skills and interests focus on community and social enterprise. and she has a passion for communicating with different groups. She continues to teach in English and in Mandarin.
Lena was formerly a chair of the Chinese Action Network Bridging Trust (CAN-B Trust) and currently holds the position in CAN-B as coordinator. Her full-time employment is that of a Sales Manager at Neway Marketing Development Co. Ltd. She knows how important it is to look after our environment and sees her involvement in Earth Action Trust as a way of doing “her bit”.

Malvinder Pal Singh

Treasurer

Malvinder has a background in project management, from his home country India and in New Zealand. He is one of the founding members of the Sukhmani Charitable Trust and Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Charitable Trust. He was also part of the team who successfully set up the Sikh Temple in New Lynn. He has a passion for community work and encourages people to volunteer as well. He has joined Earth Action Trust because he wants to participate in programmes that help combat habitat destruction and global warming. He also sees it as an opportunity to help create jobs for needy migrants and refugees.

Joel Umali

Trustee

Joel is from Philippines and is actively involved in the community as a trustee in Youth Excel Trust and a member of Christ Commission Fellowship. He currently works for Auckland Council as Project Leader (Strategic Community Initiatives).
With over 10 years’ experience in project development, management and evaluation, he has joined us as he wants to be part of an organisation that uses waste resources to create job opportunities especially for young migrants and refugees.

Rene Angeles

Trustee

Rene is a veterinarian and a registered nurse, originally from Philippines. Apart from being in the medical field, he’s also a strong advocate of human rights, animal welfare and environment. As a president of the Partners in Progress Incorporated from 1999 to 2001, he led the development of strategic initiatives and programs including urban resiliency and disaster risk reduction and management. He also managed income generating programs to recover from disaster losses. We are honoured to have his support.

Staff

Agnes Granada

The coordinator of Earth Action Trust, Granada is a self-appointed Basurera (female garbage collector in her native language of Tagalog). She migrated to New Zealand from Philippines in 1988. She is a life member of the Auckland University Students Association, where she worked in the finance department for 11 years. Her time at the University turned to be a catalyst in her involvement with non-profit organisations. In 2002, she co-founded Migrant Action Trust and became a community advocate and worker. Later in 2014, she started Earth Action Trust.
She believes that environmental issues should be given equal consideration as social, cultural, economic and political issues, to find solutions to social injustice in New Zealand.

Johnny Khan

Sajedul a.k.a. Johnny, is a doctoral researcher at the School of Social Work, at Massey University, New Zealand. He is conducting a research project on community based social networking in waste management to encourage zero waste production. He is passionate about waste management policies and environmental health issues with a particular focus on sustainability.
He sees himself as a successful social garbologist in the future, developing relevant programs that ensure a positive change.

Vina Chen

Operation Support

Vina is originally from China but has lived in New Zealand for over 15 years. She has a wealth of experience in project management and financial administration in non-profit setting. Always willing to learn about the migrant sector and the indigenous people of New Zealand, Vina managed migrant focused projects whilst in Migrant Action Trust and treasurer of Tangata Tiriti in volunteer capacity. Started off as volunteer, she’s a great addition to the pool of dedicated and committed team of the Earth Action Trust, who are serious to make a difference in caring for the environment.

Oriana Niuhulu-Green

Program Lead

Oriana and her family migrated from Samoa to New Zealand when she was 15 years old. After completing her diploma in psychology and counselling, she held various roles in the commercial sector. When she became a mother, she took on the most virtuous role of Stay-At-Home-Parent. A multi-tasked role wearing several hats – chef, housekeeper, conflict resolver, event planner, teacher, chauffer, laundry, finance manager, health provider and counsellor. The role prepared Oriana to be part of the Earth Action Trust’s team
where one must be open to wear various hats.

Sindy Xian

Project Officer

Sindy migrated with her parents from China when she was age 14. With her marketing background, itsimperative that she is knowledgeable in understanding consumer’s mindset, drive and behaviour to purchase goods and services. Passionate to make an impact in sustainable living, she volunteered in Earth Action Trust in 2019 and brought those skills-set and experience to the mahi of Earth Action Trust.

Kiran Vegunta

Volunteer Extraordinaire

Kiran Vegunta migrated from India to New Zealand in 2010. Married in 2015, he’s now a proud father of two. A volunteer since 2012, Kiran illustrates a true volunteer. His wife too, volunteers from time to time.
The Basurera and the Earth Action Trust are indebted to Kiran for he always fills in the gap at the right time and at the right place.
IT qualified and now owns his own driving school. He’s also knowledgeable in a wide variety of practical stuff which is handy to the mahi of Earth Action Trust.

The Working Group

In May 2013 a working group was created to investigate the creation of a social enterprise in community recycling. The group met between June and October 2013. In this time they visited Xtreme Waste Raglan, Trash Palace Porirua, Waitakere Transfer Station and Community Business and Environment Centre Kaitaia. Earth Action Trust was launched in November 2013.
We acknowledge the voluntary work of the members of the working group and the members of the group are listed below.