Koha Kai

13/11/2025

Heads up. It’s going to be a massive Aurora tonight for those of you who haven’t seen one yet. It’s already here so as soon as it gets past twilight head outdoors with your camera. You can see them with the naked eye but the lense of the camera opens it up for you. Your phone on night mode will capture it for you. We are so lucky. Enjoy!

06/11/2025

Hopefully by the end of this week, our Civil Emergency Status will be lifted, but when it is, I want to join with the hundreds of others to say - from the heart - a massive thank you to all those Emergency Services, but in particular to the Guys and Girls from Powernet who just went out every day in all weathers, all temperatures, all conditions to get people reconnected to power.
Its these times and these circumstances where we just feel helpless, knowing that there are families, children, elderly, animals who are isolated (no internet or phones), who are trying to get by in all weathers and temperatures with no power, and as one person who called us said "How long can we keep the food in our freezers? Its freezing outside - perhaps we should just take it out there....". So we were very grateful, just as Labour Weekend began - to get the call.
"We need some help. We have between 60 and 85 guys every day in every weather going out all day to get people reconnected, and we need to look after them - Can you help?"
Absolutely we can, and we take a huge amount of pride in doing just that. We would much rather be doing something - anything, than sitting here watching, listening and just talking about it.
So in turn, I want to thank my team, who just added those lunches to their daily BAU, every day (including the weekend while I was away speaking at the Wao Summit in Wanaka). I know how busy they are anyway, but everyone pulled together and just got it done. Thats what makes this community what it is. We are all whānau together, and we look after one another, so we can all look after one another. Well done everybody.

27/10/2025

Just over a week now, till we launch our new initiative. Supporting our Gore Community, both in Gore Health (Hospital) and for their Meals on Wheels community outreach.
Whenever we begin something new like this, we always have a practice day, and that was last week. A resounding success for in-patients and Meals on Wheels recipients alike. We are so thrilled to be able to offer this service. It is essentially Tīmata meals and our feedback from patients was everything from a lady who lives with celiac disease and can have no gluten whatsoever, she was thrilled that for the first time in about three years she had gravy on her meal. To a so-called "Fussy Eater" who ate the lot. To an elderly man who looked at his meal and declared he could never get though all that - - - and he did.
Our priority is to support the wellbeing of all people, but especially our most vulnerable in the community. But its not just for some - we want everyone for whatever reason they reach out - we want them to have the access to the best, most nourishing, flavoursome food we can make. Heat and eat. So we are gearing up, and ramping up and looking forward to moving on from the schools contract which ends with the school year, and staying with our focus which is feeding our community with the best that we can offer.

24/10/2025

The big storm on Thursday was not all doom and gloom though. So many services were cancelled. Flights for one - our Couriers for another - and just as well if you saw all those trucks lying on their sides both here and further north. So we suddenly had some boxes of meals freshly made on the day, waiting to head to the North Island and all round the South Island as well. They were going nowhere - so that was a bunch of calls that needed to be made, because we pride ourselves on ensuring that meals are made, packaged and shipped to arrive within 24 hours anywhere in the country - and that just wasn't going to happen. That's the doom and gloom bit.
But the silver lining was that we support a number of older folks, some in their nineties, so a surprise drop in on the way home, gave us a chance to drop some heat-and-eat Timata meals, and check that they were all good, that they had power (gotta be able to make a cuppa tea when they want) and that they had everything the needed to get them through till the weather improved.
One had a block fence that had blown onto her driveway - she doesn't drive so kei te pai. Another had the roof of the neighbours hen-house hanging over her fence. But her telly was still working and now she had delicious kai for the next few nights.
Today, one of our Community Workers from Te Whatu Ora was able to offer additional support for a whānau she is working with. A family of four where serious illness is just another challenge they are working through.
So yes, a massive storm, unpleasant, a bit scary and very disruptive, but there is always a silver lining - and a way to turn things around for someone in our community.

24/10/2025

Well, it was certainly a day. It was a day like none we've experienced to date. At its peak I was sitting in a shower while at my desk. Sammii's had was badly bruised as she reached for the door as it first swung open outwards, and then slammed back and got her good. Tyler's fence was blown over, and Terry's roof started to come off his house. It was a day when staff got ferried back to their cars (safer than walking), and it was a day when everyone rang everyone else - just to make sure they were okay. All of this while we were having a Mega Protest, and thank goodness they had found shelter. Disaster averted. Also thank goodness the kids weren't at school.
There was the funny stuff - like the guy who walked past Koha Kai towards Dee Street, and a moment later he ran back past - chasing his sunglasses, but every time he got close they said "Nah!" and took off in another direction, till they finally flew off the footpath and into the path of oncoming traffic at which point he gave it a blessing and then headed back into the wind.
Then there was the scary stuff - like part of our sign, which was glued and screwed to the wall above our Huia Centre, which got ripped off the wall and could easily have caused havoc with people and with cars, including mine. but fortunately lay flat on the ground till I picked it up and pulled it indoors.
Then there was bewilderment as Maccas disappeared completely in a haze of rain. Our thoughts are with those who didn't come out so well, and our thanks with the Universe for keeping the people safe.

23/10/2025

We are under a Civil Defense Emergency Warning right now, and this is why. Be safe and sty home Whānau. Goodness me!!!

21/10/2025

Nothing makes us happier than to see the meals, created in our kitchen and distributed around the country by our partners at Tīmata, and having someone sending us photos. Happy pukus in the workplace.

Spotted in a random smoko room today. Makes us happy to know we are feeding hungry workers.

14/10/2025

Again I say. I have no issue and am happy to spend time visiting people in nursing homes. I did it as a child. I sang in choirs, and I have this awful memory where my mother made me go along to one place and play my piano accordian. ‘ Lady of Spain’ I played, and the mere thought of it still traumatises me to this day. I also learned Highland Dancing, and I remember being dragged along, possibly with siblings and having to do a sword dance, I think with two yard sticks as the sword. For me I loved visiting those places, because the old folks were lovely, and they usually had much better afternoon tea than what I got at home. It was what I had to do to earn that cinnamon oyster that I objected to.
But I didn’t have to live there, and I didn’t have to make friends with people, only to lose them. I had my own grandparents. Actually at 17 years of age, I still had a great-grandfather, and I valued those gentle souls in the nursing homes, but they were not my companions, my only opportunity for friendships.
I truly understand the need for occasional relief from the responsibility of being responsible for a young person who is disabled. I also know that often times, parents think their young people are a lot less able than they are. That was really obvious from what I learned in working with them. One parent was absolutely determined their child would never be able to learn to read. But over time through the contextual learning – this is the written instruction, and this is what it means in practice, eventually they began to read.
So it was interesting to observe – when we released our first training manual and each student received their own puka puka (book). To see this young person eagerly receive their book, open it and immediately start reading out loud. To see the shock on that parent’s face, as they picked up the book, closed it and placed it on their lap with their hands clasped over it.
It’s not an easy situation.

13/10/2025

As a kaupapa Māori organisation and proud Māori Entrepreneur myself, it has given me huge satisfaction over the years to work with so many people who were cautiously looking to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into actions, into reality, and build not only their own kaupapa, but what we are hearing increasingly often through mainstream media - growing the Māori Economy. What this means is that those dreams have become employment opportunities. They have become massive contributors to local and international communities, and all the while aware of their roots, their whakapapa (historical lineage or ancestry), and their world view of te ao Māori. These entrepreneurs are proud Māori, but working across the community. It is right that as Te Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Āraiteuru/Southern Māori Business Network, we acknowledge, support, uplift and celebrate their success.
Outstanding team - once again you have outdone yourselves xo

‘Kia ora e te whānauThe KUMA Board extends our sincere congratulations to all finalists of the KUMA 2025 Māori Business Awards. The accomplishments of each finalist are outstanding, and they should take great pride in their business achievements. Several Awards’ presenters emphasised that ever...

13/10/2025

In my experience, young people with disabilities tend to be very social. They love being around people and included in activities.
But should they be elderly people, and nursing staff while they're working?
Don’t get me wrong. They love being with people, any people and they don’t judge. They would love to sit with Kaumatua, play ‘Go Fish’ or ‘Snap’. Read to them if they are literate. Talk about the past – because for them, its history and that can be immensely interesting. Walk around the gardens – which is great for both of them. The problem is, these young people are sometimes at high school, or its equivalent for five or six years. Data and statistics tell us that by the time a person gets to the stage of life where they enter a nursing home, life expectancy is between eighteen months and two years.
That’s a lot of sadness and grief these young people have to experience, and believe me when I say – they take loss like that very hard.
In theory, the goal of the exercise was for these young people to form genuine relationships with people outside of the school environment, with a view that post school, they may be able to achieve some ongoing work experience opportunities.
I understand the logic behind that thinking, and on the surface it sounds great. But in reality it is 15-21 year olds hanging out with people who are at the end of their lives.
Some time later, one of those students moved with their family to Invercargill, and I suppose with reference from that contact, she eventually came to Koha Kai as a trainee in our Lunches in Schools programme (before the government took over).
She thrived in that space, and we enjoyed her company, but when I asked her what her favourite things were to do outside of Koha Kai, she said
“I like to go to the cemetery and clean headstones. I knew a lot of old people, but they died, so I like looking after them.”
It made me feel quite sad.

13/10/2025

There’s been a lot in the media recently about young people having to go into aged care facilities so their parents or carers can have respite. By respite I mean anything from a parent needing surgery and time to recuperate, to taking a well-deserved break — which everyone is entitled to under law. The problem isn’t that parents can’t care for their young person, it’s that there’s no alternative option, so aged care becomes the only choice. In some cases, this temporary placement even becomes permanent.
I have a real problem with that. It takes me back to a learning from the early days of Koha Kai. I was contacted by a lovely lady who was working in an alternative education unit within a large secondary school — the same school my daughter once attended. When I asked my daughter about it, she said the students from that unit were never seen; their breaks were separate, and they didn’t join any mainstream activities.
That lady had reached out after hearing about the opportunities we were creating for young people like hers. We talked about the importance of inclusion — of young people with disabilities having the chance to mix with non-disabled peers, to learn social skills, empathy, and confidence. For her students, that “inclusion” meant weekly visits to a local aged care home, where they could spend time with elderly residents.
And that’s what troubles me most. When the only option we offer our young disabled people — for learning, for care, or even just for a short stay — is to be placed among those decades older, we are failing them. They deserve spaces that reflect their age, their energy, and their potential. Spaces that nurture connection, independence, and belonging — not ones that quietly prepare them for a life of isolation.
See Story Here: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/09/29/family-of-21yo-disabled-aucklander-told-to-consider-rest-home-care/

09/10/2025

Something I’ve observed more than once while driving through our community—and which I feel moved to speak about today—is the incredibly important, brave, and selfless work our carers do every day.
The fact that they are willing and able to do what I cannot is something I deeply admire. I make no bones about it—I simply don’t have the courage or fortitude to provide personal care for our most vulnerable.
About 15 years ago, when I was a Support Worker, I was told it was a requirement to do an occasional sleepover with one of our highest-needs clients. He was non-verbal and had significant intellectual disabilities, but I knew from spending time with him that he understood far more than most people realised. It always disappoints me when others underestimate someone’s capacity instead of learning with and from them.
Part of the role required providing personal care—cleaning and changing him when he soiled himself. I declined. My constitution simply isn’t built for that kind of work (honestly, I can barely mention it without gagging). It was decided that asking me to do so would risk both his dignity and my composure. I also knew that once he learned of my weakness, he’d probably save it all up just for me—so thankfully, it never happened. There is a God!
I have nothing but the utmost respect for those who can do that mahi with kindness and grace.
However, twice this week I’ve seen carers getting out of their cars—one even crossing the street through traffic—pulling on those bright blue gloves. I know what they’re about to do, and where they’re going. The person inside that house will likely be frail, through age or disability.
When you’re working with vulnerable people, please do everything you can to preserve their dignity. Crossing the street bare-handed wouldn’t have drawn a glance—but those blue gloves told a story that diminished the mana of the person he was there to help.
Even though I don’t know them, I grieve for that loss.