Chiller kaupapa brings kai, skills to the city

The Hākari Chiller has been set up at Waikirikiri School to store meat provided for events. Mata School students visited Waikirikiri last week to teach the city kids how to process venison. From left are Bartoria Paenga-Cooper and Mata School’s Kohanui Chaffey with Waikirikiri School wellbeing team member and Hākari Chiller organiser Tui Keenan, Harry Searle, Ahi Chaffey of Mata School, Kohi McGregor and Kesa Halbert. Picture by Paul Rickard

A new community kaupapa has been launched at Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri to help with the sourcing of meat for hākari (feasts) in the community due to rising food prices. 

The Hākari Chiller has been organised by Tui Keenan of the school’s wellbeing team.

The initiative aims to ensure the availability of meat for hākari occasions such as tangihanga (funerals), birthday celebrations and other events that require a feast, or to support families facing financial hardship.

It will also connect city dwellers to the process of getting their own kai — in this case processing a deer for the venison.

The Hākari Chiller initiative is deeply rooted in the cultural belief of whenua ora, tangata ora — if the land is well, so are its people.

“By actively participating in the process of sourcing, hunting and processing meat, we strengthen our connection to the whenua and embody the role of kaitiaki (guardianship), ensuring the wellbeing of both land and people,” Tui says.

“Our dedicated team, known as Kaiwhakangau Kai Connect, organise volunteer hunters who work towards eradicating deer and pigs in the region.

“This not only aids in protecting the whenua, but also provides a sustainable source of meat for our community hākari.”

The direct contribution from the hunters enables the community to have a steady supply of meat which can often be required at short notice.

Kaiwhakangau Kai Connect has been growing in recent years and now provides organic meat to communities up and down the East Coast and in Gisborne.

This includes food banks and the school lunch programme at Waikirikiri School.

The volunteer hunters drop off the harvested animals to the Hākari Chiller, ensuring a quick and efficient process. The deer is skinned before it goes to the Village Butchery for processing.

Te Kura O Mata students went to Waikirikiri last week to help teach the city students how to process deer.

“They live and breathe hunting and it’s such a cool thing to watch — the whanaungatanga between the students via this connection of processing meat together,” Tui  said.

At the heart of the initiative is the collaborative effort of the school community.

“Together we skin and process the meat, turning it into a valuable resource that meets the immediate need of our community.

“This hands-on involvement connects us to our food source and instils a sense of responsibility and sustainability.”

Tui and the team at Waikirikiri have ideas on how to use this resourcessuch as getting students out into the community to fill up their nanny and papa’s freezers.

“We want the community to own this initiative.”

Many people have got behind this kaupapa and given their services free of charge to make it happen.

These include Lift 4 U, Marty Lloyd Electrical, Kaiwhakangau Ltd, Kings Creations and Chiller King, as well as the volunteer hunters who will be keeping the chiller full.

The chiller is for the exclusive use of the Waikirikiri community and can be accessed by contacting Tui on Facebook Messenger.