Just Cook Tika Tunu at Auckland City Mission

In October 2022 the NZ Nutrition Foundation completed a 6-session pilot Just Cook Tika Tunu programme with whanau in the new Auckland City Mission, HomeGround facility.

The programme was successful with evaluation showing participants’ increased cooking skills, confidence & motivation to cook and improved food knowledge. Participants also reported cooking more, eating more vegetables and using different protein like beans and lentils. The one thing that stood out for the participants was the sense of belonging to their new community.

Sam Morrison (Community Development Lead, HomeGround Apartments) describes this beautifully:

“The Tika Tunu cooking and nutrition programme has had a huge impact on our community here at HomeGround Apartments. Kathy and Anna created a welcoming, accessible, engaging and context specific learning environment that enabled participants to share their own skills, ideas, interests and creativity. Their knowledge and passion empowered participants to develop their confidence and desire to cook food that is both nutritious and cost effective – however the outcomes from this programme have extended far beyond that! This programme has also helped to build social connections and a sense of belonging here at HomeGround. This programme has shown us what we are capable of as a community and has inspired us to explore how we continue to develop our skills, knowledge and community through food. We sincerely hope that Kathy, Anna and the NZNF will continue on this journey with us into the future! “

Building on the success of this programme at HomeGround we are partnering with the Auckland City Mission Food Security team to run a cooking programme for whanau to help them use their food parcel effectively. Many whanau have no experience using beans, lentils, some types of grain products and vegetables in their cooking. For example, one of our participants from Afghanistan was delighted to learn how to cook with vermicelli. This programme has been made possible by a bequest from Dr. Clifford Tasman-Jones (founding member and former chairman of the NZ Nutrition Foundation) and the generous support of some of our corporate members who have provided products so that participants can go home and practice the recipes that they have learnt. We are currently halfway through this 6-session programme. Each session comprises of teaching and learning, cooking, and eating together.

We appreciate our partnership with the City Mission and look forward to continuing this mahi.