Ruby Tui has won the hearts of New Zealanders – not only through her rugby, but because she uses her voice to champion children’s wellbeing. We’re proud to welcome her as a KidsCan ambassador.
Nestled on the fringes of Napier, you'll find a club like no other - the Taradale Afternoon Tea Club. Founder Ruth Pearson-Vell wanted to support Kiwi kids - but didn't have much spare in her budget. So she rallied her community - from her 'gang' of older ladies to young immigrants. Each week they bring a gold coin and swap life stories over a cuppa.
Children with shoes held together with duct tape, shivering in only t-shirts in winter, and with less and less food in their lunch boxes. Teachers say these are increasingly common scenes at school as more families struggle to survive – and students’ learning is suffering.
“It’s FREEZING here, and this morning I found a student sitting behind a classroom block wearing a thin short-sleeved polo shirt and a pair of shorts, with just a pair of jandals on his feet. He said his mum couldn’t afford shoes or a jersey. He’s missing the very basics, and I’m worried about his mental health.
“We have one little girl who is so eager to come to school, her parents say that she sleeps in her uniform so that she’s ready the next day. She comes without breakfast. You can see she’s hungry - she’s extremely eager to eat the lunch we serve her – and your heart goes out to her..."
I live close to the school where I’m principal, but I might as well live in a different country - it’s that different from my life. It’s a real eye opener to actually see that there are children who don’t have food, who are coming to school hungry, or not coming to school at all. I realised how sheltered my life had been, and how little I knew about the lives that some of our children are living.
“It is my 17th birthday tomorrow and every year I donate to charities such as KidsCan. Growing up in school, I'd receive KidsCan shoes as well as a jacket for free from the school office. I hope this funds not only a kid's shoes and a jacket but hopefully a smile on his/her face as much it did me whilst young in primary.” This was the beautiful email we received from a student in South Auckland, who saved money from his summer job to donate $500 to KidsCan. We called him to hear what KidsCan’s jackets and shoes meant for him.
KidsCan is welcoming the government’s announcement of a new early childhood food programme to support 10,000 preschoolers living in poverty.
When Jules McMillan was a child, even though some Kiwi families were financially stretched, they managed. “I’m lucky that I grew up in the ’80s, because you could have a single-income family.
