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Regional

Kia Aroha College establishes their own School Lunch Scheme

Kia Aroha College created its own school lunch scheme after a recent student survey conducted at the school found that over 90% of their students only eat one meal per day. The principal of the school, Haley Milne says it's been a huge success thus far but it's only the beginning. 

With your food basket and my food basket, the people will prosper.

Principal Milne says, "We decided as a kura that we're not going to worry, about the responsibility and we're just going to take that on by ourselves, and ultimately fed young people, are happy young people."

Recently this year, the school has been trialing a new lunch scheme that's been a success for them so far, they're wanting to finalise their scheme before next year .

"What we're doing this term is just running a couple of trials so that next year we will be rolling out lunch for every child, every day of the week."

The scheme is self-funded by the school, and donations have been flooding in from whānau and local businesses.

"At the moment we're funding it ourselves, ultimately again what we've done for next year is we've already assigned some of our school budgets to pay for it however we are always going to be accepting anyone who wants to support our kaupapa."

Recently the Government announced a School Lunch Scheme that would be allocated for 30 primary and intermediate schools, Milne says that there's a need for lunches across the board.

"We are relatively used to being ahead of the Government when it comes to some of the initiatives that we have in our kura. Of course, the Government's initiative will be well received in Primary schools. But we weren't going to wait for it to be rolled out into secondary schools for as long as our kids are hungry." 

It's not just your stock-standard meal either, today on the menu the kids had mince, bagels, homemade cookies. Also in the survey conducted by the school, they found that a lot of their students have different dietary needs so there's also a vegan option available as well.

All Kia Aroha College students will be provided with lunch every day in 2020.