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Last modified: 28 Mar 2023 11:10am

image of smiling woman outside in the sunshine holding up a certificate and box with a badge pin in itA Selwyn District Council staff member has this month been recognised for her contribution to the country’s COVID-19 response.

Sanku Vyakaranam, a senior business analyst at the Council, has received the Prime Minister’s Award for her service during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when she worked at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, helping families who were stuck overseas to reconnect with their loved ones.

Sanku was presented the award on 6 March, and says she is humbled by the recognition.
“It has been a pleasure to serve the country during the pandemic, and I feel blessed that I could help families in need and support the COVID-19 response team.”

In her role as an emergency allocation analyst, Sanku was tasked with reviewing applications for emergency spaces in managed isolation facilities. She was able to help hundreds of people reunite with their families in New Zealand.

“The whole thing was unprecedented. I got to work in a hardworking team in what was a stressful, high-pressure environment.”

In addition to helping reconnect families, Sanku used her data analyst skills to provide daily reporting to senior leadership. This information was important for Government officials in their decision-making during the response.

Since then, Sanku joined Council,
supporting the organisation to enhance its digital products and services.