Setting our kids up to live their best lives

Our Strands

Kootuitui ki Papakura is a unique, local community initiative breaking through the barriers of inequity to support our young people to reach their full potential.

The Papakura community is within the top 1% of the most deprived areas in New Zealand. Poor financial, education, health, and home status impact immediate and long-term life outcomes for our tamariki.

To redress this inequity and improve immediate and lifelong outcomes, our research has identified three key strands that together can have a transformative impact – for our children, their futures, and the community. Kootuitui provides wraparound services that incorporate Health, Education and Whaanau.

Our Strands is to Improve the Lifelong Outcomes For
Young People Growing Up in Papakura

The three key high-impact strands are:

Since 2016 we have provided those three services to a range of Papakura schools in a combined and novel way. This integrated, holistic programme is unique in NZ and is provided by Kootuitui to over 1000 students. It originated from the Middlemore Hospital Child health service.

Our Kids Need Our Support

Out of 41 developed countries; New Zealand places 34th when it comes to children’s well-being (June 2017).

In Papakura, which is within the top 1% of the most deprived areas in New Zealand, households tend to earn less than the average median income, unemployment rates are higher, and homeownership rates are low, yet families face higher average rents.

The area also sees lower rates of educational achievement (qualifications obtained), the key to a vicious cycle of inequality. COVID-19 has only exacerbated these factors.

Whilst these are adult problems, the children growing up in these environments are affected the most.
Kootuitui is an effective program calculated to deliver an 11x social return on investment – improving lifelong outcomes for our children.