KidsCan is a charity dedicated to helping Kiwi kids affected by poverty and this year they hope to ensure that more children don't go without.
KidsCan is a charity dedicated to helping Kiwi kids affected by poverty and this year they hope to ensure that more children don't go without.
Anxiety and fear of ridicule or reprimand are some of the worries students face attending school without proper uniforms, food or stationery.
These worries are the reality for many Northland students, but schools and KidsCan are working hard to ensure all students can get to school and leave such fears behind.
“Some children arrive wearing ill-fitting or incorrect uniforms, while others share a uniform and shoes with siblings, meaning the first one to wake up will go to school that day.
“One school reported children wearing winter jackets provided by KidsCan despite the summer heat, because it’s the only uniform item they have,” KidsCan said.
“Another discovered a child bringing empty food wrappers to school to make it appear they had something to eat. Many schools said children come to school primarily to get fed.”
Raurimu Ave School principal Celia Paul said the anxiety and fear faced by many students could affect their learning, among other things.
“Such emotions greatly impact students’ readiness for learning and their ability to feel confident about being at school. Their sense of belonging is jeopardised and their distress can manifest in a variety of ways, none of which are healthy mentally or emotionally for a child.”
At Raurimu, the first few days and weeks are the most critical for relationship building, something that if not done could lead to lifelong impacts, she said.
“When a child has not attended to receive all of the whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building) and routine, then they are playing catch-up
“This can cause unnecessary confusion and isolation for that child and can impact their sense of self and their sense of belonging, and if not tended to carefully, it can leave a lasting imprint on a child’s mind that follows them through to adulthood.”
Paul added that, at times, educators have dipped into their own pockets to provide for their students.
“We want to provide quality learning experiences and require a certain something to do that and sometimes small schools like ours are just not funded enough to be able to give our students everything they need to thrive .... we push on and go that extra mile and suffer the consequences personally much later on.”
Ahipara School principal Andrea Panther said the work KidsCan did for her school, and many others, was important.
“It makes a huge difference for families in our Ahipara area, we really appreciate it. It makes everyone equal when they are able to come to school with the same supplies and uniform.”
“No kid likes to be singled out or made to feel different or inferior to others, so this is also making a huge difference to their wellbeing.
“We are in a low socioeconomic area and we have a lot of whānau that struggle with uniforms and stationery for tamariki.”
KidsCan supports 1100 schools and early childhood centres nationwide, but demand is growing, despite recently adding 40 new schools to the programme. To help keep up with demand and reach as many schools as possible, KidsCan has launched an urgent appeal, asking 1000 New Zealanders to each donate $30 a month.
“We know every day at school matters, and we don’t want any child getting left behind this year,” KidsCan founder and chief executive Julie Chapman said.
KidsCan founder and CEO Julie Chapman.
“With an increasing number of families reporting that they’ve run out of food in the last year, the need for the essentials we provide — food, shoes and jackets — is greater than ever. We want all children to get to school on day one, ready to participate and learn.”
“We see firsthand the positive impact our support has on families and children in the classroom. But we also know how devastating the consequences can be when children don’t attend school.
“That’s why we’re asking 1000 Kiwis who believe that education equals opportunity to join us in supporting a child with a $30 monthly donation. It can help change a child’s life.”
