Growing mighty kids by running my socks off!

I launched the OKE Charity in early 2016, with the intention to Grow Mighty Kids. The OKE Charity provides Kiwi kids with the opportunity to learn life and social skills by introducing productive gardens into schools or as we prefer to call them “outdoor classrooms”.  By giving the kids the tools to learn, OKE is empowering schools and communities to grow essential life and social skills, ultimately providing a better place for everyone. OKE plans on implementing our “Growing A Future” initiative into primary schools across South Auckland over the next few years. Our starting point was Papatoetoe, Auckland, with the first garden built at Papatoetoe West Primary. Since then we have gone on to build gardens at six primary schools in South Auckland, with another two already planned for 2018.

Through Growing A Future, OKE provides a garden to a school, enabling the kids, teachers and the local community to get growing. OKE work with the primary schools to plan a working bee, which engages the school community to build the garden. Each garden includes all that is required to make it sustainable; raised beds, greenhouse, composting solutions, kids tools, teacher tools, irrigation etc.  Each Growing a Future project for a school costs $10,000 to put together from start to finish…at no cost to the school! This cost is made up of 75% materials and 25% project management, which ensures the working bee is successful in building a sustainable garden.

OKE originally started out to provide schools with a traditional gardening program, bringing back the skills which were somewhat taken for granted by previous generations. What is very exciting, is that we're bringing modern technology into the gardens soon, through the use of a new augmented reality app. This will allow OKE to provide schools with a week by week to-do list, aided by the wonderful Oke, who has come to life! Will be launching the app in March '18.

In order for OKE to keep on doing the wonderful work we're doing in South Auckland, the charity needs funding. As the Chief Go-Getter (Founder) I think it's only right that I should take the lead in helping to raise funds. So, I'm pulling on my running shoes, for the first time in over a decade! I was intending on running the Queenstown Marathon, alas injury after injury has put pay to that, however, I'm determined to run (hobble) the 10km race on Saturday 17th November.

Thank you in advance for all your support.