Empowered to make a difference: Fellini’s internship at The Hearing House

“I’ll carry these experiences from The Hearing House with me for the rest of my life.” 

Fellini Makimou, a second-year Bachelor of Social Practice student at Unitec in Auckland, is with The Hearing House on a three-month social work internship until the end of June, working alongside our team, supported by our in-house counsellor and whānau support person, Hazel Benson-Dawe.  

We caught up with Fellini recently to see how she was enjoying her work placement with us. 

Tell us about your role – is it helping you to apply what you've learned at Unitec? 

“I’m enjoying meeting new people and learning more about The Hearing House and what it encompasses. I’ve really enjoyed learning more about cochlear implants and how they’ve changed so many people’s lives for the better. I had only seen people wearing cochlear implants before, but I wasn’t aware of what they were until I started here.  

“In my role, I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned at Unitec, especially helping kiritaki/clients through the services available to them, such as National Travel Assistance – this is especially helpful for those who travel long distances to get treatment and attend appointments.  

“What I love about the team at The Hearing House is that they really care about their kiritaki/clients. People have shared their experiences of how welcome and well looked after they have felt by the team. They’ve also said that it’s like having another family who have supported them throughout their cochlear implant journey.   

“The team are friendly and warm, and it’s reflected in the wonderful atmosphere you feel when you walk through the door. I’ve especially enjoyed working with Hazel, the counsellor and whānau support at The Hearing House, and a caring and empathetic wāhine. I’ve also appreciated senior audiologist Caroline Selvaratham’s assistance – she’s been a wonderful and supportive on-site field educator.  

“Being at The Hearing House has opened my eyes to a whole new world within the disability sector and those who have been overlooked by their communities. My grandfather is hard of hearing, but I think he felt ashamed to wear his hearing aid. However, as a family, we weren’t aware of the challenges he faced.  

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the deaf and hard of hearing community and the audiologists and speech language therapists who play a vital role in the lives of the D/deaf community and their whānau.” 

What led you to pursue social work?  

“I felt it was more of a spiritual guidance that led me to this field as I love what being a social worker entails, and what I’ve learned so far in my degree. I was originally doing a double degree in Law and Sociology at AUT after I left my job at the ANZ Bank. I’ve always been an empathetic and understanding person who felt a strong sense of responsibility to help my family and others. I changed degrees as I felt more passionate about social change and making a difference to people’s lives. I also felt that there was a lot more that could be done for Māori and Pasifika due to the first-hand experiences I encountered throughout my upbringing."

Do you see yourself working with the D/deaf community in the future? Are there other areas you’d like to explore in your career? 

“Absolutely! Let me know when there’s an opening 😊 Working here has opened my heart and eyes to a new work environment.  

“I’ll carry these experiences from The Hearing House with me for the rest of my life.  

“One day, I hope to work with organisations who are as passionate as the team are here at The Hearing House.  

“Thank you all for your aroha and support - I hope to work again with you one day.” 

Fellini and her daughter, Mariis