Manawakura is a regional approach to a nation wide initiative called Healthy Active Learning, which is funded by Sport New Zealand, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. One outcome of the initiative is to support schools and kura to create healthy food and drink environments. The Manawakura kaupapa for kai is to use a contemporary and holistic approach. Kate, a Dietitian, says: ‘Our goal of raising healthy eaters isn’t just about getting tamariki to eat their carrots for todays lunch, it’s supporting tamariki to grow up with positive eating attitudes and behaviours towards kai’. And that’s what Kai Pai Day was all about: a fun and interactive day for tamariki to celebrate and explore kai.
Prior to the day the students planned what they wanted to cook, the ingredients they would need, and rallied together to make it all happen. Tamariki chose to make homemade burgers, kebab sticks, and smoothies. It’s fair to say there was cheerful chaos in the kitchen with 45 tamariki cutting, mixing, and grating kai but it was so cool to see them getting stuck into it. Tamariki tucked into the kai and had a sense of achievement having made what they were eating. A student said: “Look Koka, we made this!” holding up their burger.
Overall the day was a huge success, and the teachers were grateful tamariki were given the opportunity to have a hands on kai experience, especially given how isolated the up in Potaka, however having staff members like Shyla-Drew Taiapa, living and working in Wharekāhika helps ensure all of our schools are able to access Kates skills.
The staff at Whiti Ora are getting their way around kura on the coast, and hope to visit them all by the end of the year. Whiti Ora said we’re here to support our schools and kura on the coast and throughout Te Tairāwhiti in any way we can, especially when it comes to the health and wellbeing of tamariki.
