Life skill development (nutrition education, cooking skills, budgeting and financial planning, interpersonal skills) is an important foundation and often missing component in a prisoner’s life experience. These components limit the pathway to further education, successful rehabilitation and employment.
The New Zealand Nutrition Foundation completed a second Tika Tunu programme at Auckland Regional Women’s Corrections Facility (ARWCF).
The second programme was very successful with all wahine rating the programme as excellent and all believing all prisoners within ARWCF should be given the opportunity to participate in the Tika Tunu programme. All wahine participants said they intended to share their new skills and knowledge with family and friends on release.
When asked what they enjoyed about the programme the following comments were made:
“I love how you can cook really yummy meals with basic ingredients. I have learnt a lot”
“Different ways of cooking cheap good food”
“Enjoyed learning how to make something out of nothing. Also making healthy kai. I have also learn about what I have (osteoporosis)”
‘Learning how to cook yummy food cheaply and healthy for the kids and family”
When asked if they were making any changes to their diet and levels of physical activity since starting the programme the following responses were made
“Eating more vegetables and fruit”
“I look at the back of packages (label reading) more”
“I watch what I put in my mouth. I enjoy eating healthy”
“I eat a lot less fatty food and eat more healthy food where I can”
The funding for the Tika Tunu project has come from the SKYCITY Auckland Community Trust.
Last modified: January 27, 2022
