Koha Kai New Location, New Opportunities
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Koha Kai has been busy making up Omicron Kai Support packs and delivering meals to hundreds of families isolating with Covid-19 since they first began this support, back in February,.
The Ministry of Social Development – Care in the Community programme for the Covid-19 response has seen Koha Kai become arguably one of the biggest suppliers of Isolation Packs in the Southern Region, with more than 900 kai packs and more than 8000 meals delivered so far.
Founder Janice Lee said they have also worked in with a local pharmacist to prepare basic medication packs for families. Based on what pharmacists have seen to be the most helpful products for people with covid – it includes items like pain relief for all ages, lozenges, electrolytes and many other essentials.
“Our plan was to provide each household member with everyday food products to have breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as snacks in order to safely isolate for seven days. This is particularly important for those who are vulnerable and living alone,” she said.
“It’s about keeping people fed and in their homes. We have to do what we can to stop the spread,” she said, as Covid-19 numbers continue to rise for another wave heading into Christmas.
Koha Kai was also able to access fresh vegetables from its Market Gardens “Till we essentially emptied the garden. Now we are working with whānau to grow their own kai to build resilience for the future.”
“I would just like to acknowledge the immense support from MSD that has enabled us to provide not just kai, but a ‘Community Connector as well. She works alongside our Whānau Ora Navigator to support Whānau through into recovery.”
Koha Kai moved its main operations into the inner city in March this year at the end of its lease with ILT, to free up the space at Elmwood Gardens for the ILT’s successful Enrich training programme.
Koha Kai, a multi award-winning Charitable Trust was enabled to create a new and accessible commercial kitchen in what was the old Colonial Bakery in Gala Street – thanks to a generous contribution from Rio Tinto.
They also assumed the lease for the ex-Disability Resource Centre next door – which has now become an event centre and through both enterprises are now moving closer to becoming self-sustainable, and at the same time creating a range of employment opportunities for graduates from their teaching programme.
Koha Kai has evolved from simply helping to feed young mouths with $2 school lunches at its inception in 2014, to now being a contractor for school lunches, a Vocational Education and Training provider who also provides graduates from their training programme with employment through the many contributing social enterprise businesses they have created. Koha Kai is also committed to the principles of paying its workers Living Wage as the starting point in their employment journey.
Janice says, “Realistically we are still only at the beginning of this journey to take people from Learning to Earning by working to their strengths. We ‘Encourage A Life Of Purpose’. This is best shown in the way our Tangata Whaikaha (disabled people) have been able to support their community in need during the COVID-19 Pandemic.