Mere Dimuri

Christchurch, post-earthquake, was a city in recovery. Where others saw devastation, Mere saw possibility.

“It felt like the right place to learn,” she recalls. “There was a huge amount of opportunity, and I wanted to be part of it.”

That instinct to build runs deep in her family. Her father is a mechanical engineer, her mother an economist, and her aunty a town planner. “Each of them shaped how I see the world,” she says. “I didn’t just follow one route, I combined them.”

Mere enrolled in the New Zealand Diploma in Construction (Level 6), completing the Construction Management strand in 2018. Today she works as a quantity surveyor at Home Construction, while continuing part-time study to specialise further in the field.

Looking back, she says what she’s most proud of isn’t a qualification or job title, it’s the journey. “For nine years I’ve been focused on the next step, just putting one foot in front of the other,” she reflects. “It’s only recently that I’ve had time to look back and see what it’s taken to get here. The sacrifices, the setbacks, the small wins, the massive ones. All of it. I’m proud of the whole journey.”

At Ara, she was struck by the diversity of students on campus. “I was surprised at how multicultural it was, students from all over the world,” she says. “But also surprised at how small the Pacific presence was. There were only a few of us back then.” Returning to study six years later, she was encouraged to see more Pacific faces around campus. “It gives me hope.”

Her work now is as much about community as construction. At Home Construction, Mere is part of projects that deliver affordable, warm, healthy homes for families, many of them Pacific. She manages everything from early estimates through to procurement, ensuring builds stay on track and true to purpose.

“It’s cheesy, but I’m proud of all the projects I’ve worked on,” she laughs. “Handing over a house and knowing someone’s getting a safe, healthy home, that’s a good feeling. I see it as a way of serving the community.”

Her CEO, Paul Nanai, agrees. “Mere brings both technical skill and cultural leadership to our team. Her time at Ara gave her a strong foundation, and we’re proud to be part of her journey as she builds a pathway for others.”

That leadership, Mere says, is grounded in family. Her parents’ unwavering support and financial sacrifice made her career possible. “They’ve always encouraged me to forge my own path,” she says. “Alongside them, my older sister, partner and immediate family have been my strength. They’re why I keep going.”

Representation in the sector remains rare. Pacific people make up around 4.3% of Christchurch’s population, but Pacific women account for around only 0.63% of its construction workforce. Being the only Pacific person, or the only woman, in a room is familiar territory.

“A Samoan woman once told me, ‘You’re putting brown faces in those spaces.’ That’s always stuck with me.”

She doesn’t see her culture as something to overcome. It’s her strength. “My culture and my faith in God have always been my strength, more than any qualification. It’s what gives me confidence to step into the workplace.”

Still, the path hasn’t been easy. Being far from home, missing milestones, and grieving loved ones from a distance have weighed heavily. “There were moments when the easiest thing would’ve been to just go home,” she admits. “But you stay. You keep going. That’s the price sometimes, not being rooted with your people.”

Asked what advice she would give others, Mere doesn’t hesitate. “Know your ‘why.’ That’s what keeps you grounded when the storms come. It’s okay to fail, that teaches you something. If you fall, learn from it, get up, and go again.”

She also wants more Pacific women to know that construction isn’t out of reach. “It’s not a space reserved for men. The industry is diverse and there’s room for our voices, our strengths, our perspective.”

She often returns to a Fijian proverb: Na liga vata e vauca na bibi ni kau – many hands together can lift the weight of the tree.

For Mere, those hands are her family, her community, and the Pacific students who will come after her.