“These children are enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables each school day which is instilling healthy eating habits at a young age.”
Stephanie Wrathall is a Senior Project/Account Manager with United Fresh – a non-profit organisation charged by the New Zealand government to ensure that 27 million pieces of fresh produce reach the mouths of the country’s most vulnerable children each year.
Originating as a pilot scheme in 2004, the programme has become a flagship initiative for United Fresh, benefitting more than 124,000 children and school staff each school day.
Specifically, Stephanie oversees the day to day running of the Fruit and Vegetables in Schools initiative (FIS) – for the lowest socio-economic demographic on New Zealand’s two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu).
One in five children in New Zealand live in poverty, and many can’t afford to bring food to school, explains Stephanie. “When I see tamariki (the Te Reo Māori word for children) enjoying their healthy, nutritious fruit or vegetable snack, it makes me really thrilled to be part of this,” she says.
The FIS initiative is well received both by children and school staff; 80 percent of school principals report that their establishments have fewer hungry children thanks to FIS, while 90 percent report a greater sense of equality amongst students regardless of background.
Part of Stephanie’s daily challenge is the logistics of transporting and delivering perishable goods to 560 schools in 21 regions while maintaining the best possible condition. “Most of the schools we work with receive two deliveries per week - on Mondays and Wednesdays. That’s enough fruit and vegetables supplied to cater for all the students and staff at each school.”
FIS has been adopted and supported year-on-year by the government and is regarded internationally as an exemplary health initiative. “While we all hope for an end to poverty, the day-to-day task of operating FIS is not likely to change. If anything, we’d like to see it expand to include children of every demographic. These children are enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables each school day which is instilling healthy eating habits at a young age.”