DES201: Case Study Analysis
“Education is a child’s ticket out of poverty” This is the heart and core of The KidsCan Charitable Trust fund and its mission in breaking the cycle of hardship befalling children whose families are struggling. They do this by providing essentials such as food, warm jackets, solid shoes, and feminine hygiene products - things that some of us take for granted. In doing so, they are leveling the playing field and supplying children from low-income households with the same opportunities to succeed as everyone else. KidsCan has partnered with 822 low decile schools and over 100 early childhood centers all over New Zealand to provide less
fortunate kids with the basics.​​
Founded by Julie Chapman in 2005 in her garage, KidsCan was born out of continuous media reports about New Zealand children going to school without the basics. Julie evaluated 80 low decile schools to see how big the problem was and the impact on the children in the classroom. Her findings were astounding. Since some parents were unable to make ends meet, over 254,000 Kiwi children arrived at school cold, muddy, and starving. Hungry, wet, cold, and stressed is no way for a child to start the day. Schools reported that this had an impact on the children’s academic ability, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Children who lack basic needs are more likely to become ill, do poorly in school, and become unemployable as adults also growing up in hardship.
KidsCan aims to provide all physical and nutritional needs (food, warm jackets, solid shoes, feminine hygiene products) to Kiwi kids less fortunate than others so they can do well in their learning and have an opportunity for a better future. “A better New Zealand for all Kiwi kids”