Community Trust South is pleased that its investment into Koha Kai, a Southland-based project providing skills and work opportunities for vulnerable adults, is bearing fruit.

An evaluation report into Koha Kai has concluded its impact is "immense and multilayered", trust chairwoman Trish Boyle said this week.

. 

Koha Kai provides opportunities for vulnerable adults, particularly those living with physical or intellectual disabilities, to learn new skills and engage in meaningful work. 

Advertisement

Advertise on the Southland App

The external report was jointly commissioned by Community Trust South and the Koha Kia Charitable Trust to identify and document outcomes and support Koha Kai to become more sustainable

The community trust has been a significant funder of Koha Kai since 2017, initially through its Innovation Fund and more recently through general granting.

The report findings show Koha Kai has had a ripple effect, with outcomes evident for trainees, whānau, schools and the wider community. 

Trainees reported significant improvement in life satisfaction and wellbeing from taking part in meaningful activity. They reported gaining a sense of purpose and felt valued and liked knowing they were contributing to something worthwhile, the report said. 

“It was great to see the outcomes expressed by the trainees in the report, they were happier, busier and less bored, with one trainee describing Koha Kai as a “lifesaver” and many more describing it as ‘life-changing”, Mrs Boyle said.

Other trainee outcomes include improved mental health, improved physical health, being engaged in formal and informal learning, and learning new skills.

Some trainees have also gained external work experience and employment.

Koha Kai Charitable Trust chair Gary Tong said the report provided evidence that the impact of Koha Kai was not just on the trainees in the programme.

"Whānau were quoted saying that Koha Kai had changed their lives, not just the lives of their children. One mother, whose child is now living independently in the community, said, “It has changed my world. I am no longer just a caregiver. I am a mother”,” Mr Tong said. 

Advertisement

Advertise on the Southland App

The report also details the positive impact Koha Kai has had on school children through its Lunches in Schools programme, as well in as the wider community.

Koha Kai achieved these outcomes because of its strengths-based approach, focusing on ability rather than disability, and supporting expectations that are high but achievable, and providing flexible environments for trainees.

The trust's focus now turns to exploring and securing suitable funding to ensure the programme's ongoing sustainability.

A Summary Report as well as the full Koha Kai Evaluation report can be found on the Community Trust South website HERE.