(Picture caption: St Mary’s College YES team Kuka-Kai NZ is selling a cookbook for children learning how to make favourite Pacific dishes.)
As the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) celebrates its 40th anniversary, the number of Pacific students taking part in the initiative is increasing every year. Over the next few months, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) will profile Pacific YES teams – we hope you get behind and support these budding entrepreneurs too...
Kuka-Kai NZ, St Mary’s College, Auckland
Kuka-Kai NZ showcases Pacific kai in an accessible way for tamariki learning how to make favourite dishes from the region.
Run by Year 12 St Mary’s College students of Pacific heritage, Kuka-Kai is a small business taking part in YES.
The team chose to produce a colour cookbook aimed at children learning how to cook Pacifici kai from the Samoan, Māori, Fijian, and Niuean cultures.
Kuka-Kai colour-in cookbook for Tamariki to learn how to make foods from the Samoan, Māori, Fijian, and Niuean culture.
Featuring two favourite recipes from each culture, the book has illustrated instructions tamariki can colour in, as well as karakia in each language.
Follow Kuka-Kai NZ’s success on its Instagram and Facebook pages.
The Young Enterprise initiative has supported approximately 5000 students a year nationwide.
This year, 482 Pacific students from around Aotearoa New Zealand are taking part in the hugely beneficial initiative, an increase from the 457 students last year.
To take part in YES, student groups or businesses must complete four challenges, Validation, The Pitch, Sales and Promotion and the fourth challenge of presenting an Annual Review.
There is over $20,000 in the national prize pool as well as regional awards, cash prizes and tertiary scholarships, while students also have opportunities to attend national business competitions, events and go on partner programmes.
Visit the YES Market website for information on teams’ products and services.