Painga Project

Glasses have been heading out to tamariki this week!

A huge thank you to OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation for getting them made and back to us so quickly, helping us turn an eye exam into clear vision without the long wait.

Because finding a vision problem is only the first step. Getting glasses onto faces is where the difference is made.

We’re thrilled to have been selected for Z Energy’s Good in the Hood again this year!

If you’re heading through Papakura, pop into Z Kingsway, grab a token and vote for Painga Project. Every vote helps support the mahi we’re doing right here in our local schools, removing barriers and helping tamariki see, hear and fully participate in their education.

Fill up. Vote Painga. Help us keep creating equity at the school gate.

We’ve loved having the University of Auckland Audiology students back with us hearing screening across our schools over the last couple of weeks. 💚

There’s something pretty special about seeing future audiologists learning out in the community while helping us identify tamariki who may need further support.

Thank you for once again being part of this important mahi.

A day of learning, teamwork and healthier ears at Yendarra School. 💚

Today, our amazing volunteer audiologist teresaburnshearing is generously sharing her expertise, carrying out wax and foreign object removal while providing practical, hands-on training for our ear nurse.

Building capability like this means we can continue expanding the support we provide to tamariki, ensuring they receive timely ear care and the best possible outcomes.

A huge thank you to Teresa for so generously giving her time and knowledge continuously to our mahi, and to Yendarra School for welcoming us and supporting this important mahi.

Today you’ll find Celia parked up at Wellington City Mission, bringing free eye care directly to those who need it. 💚

We’re proud to be partnering with Wellington City Mission to provide free vision screening and comprehensive eye examinations, helping remove barriers that can make accessing healthcare difficult for many.

This visit follows our time with Whānau Manaaki in Porirua and Levin, where we’ve been seeing tamariki identified through our kindergarten vision screening programme. It’s exciting to continue extending our reach and supporting more children and whānau across the lower North Island.

A big thank you to the team at Wellington City Mission for welcoming us today.

After a wonderful week with Whānau Manaaki at Toru Fetu Kindergarten, Celia and Whina are tucked up together for a well-earned long weekend of rest. 💚

A huge thank you to Whānau Manaaki, and especially the team at Toru Fetu, for making us feel so incredibly welcome. It has been a privilege to work alongside you and support your amazing tamariki and community.

Next week, the journey continues as we head to Whānau Manaaki in Levin, where more tamariki will receive the care they need.

Whina and Celia are tucked up with Whānau Manaaki tonight after making their very first journey south of Taupō. 💚

Over the next two weeks, we’ll be in Porirua and Levin providing full optometry appointments for tamariki identified through our pilot across 16 Whānau Manaaki kindergartens.

It’s an exciting next step in this kaupapa, and we can’t wait to see the faces of the tamariki from Toru Fetu Kindergarten tomorrow morning when they arrive to find Whina and Celia parked up and waiting just for them.

Here’s to another journey removing barriers and ensuring more tamariki can see clearly, hear clearly, and thrive.

This powerful artwork by Talia Soloa for Hāpai Te Hauora beautifully captures the difference between equality and equity.

Equality gives everyone the same support. Equity recognises that some people face greater barriers and need different support to achieve the same opportunity.

It’s a concept that sits at the heart of our kaupapa: Equity at the school gate.

Read the RNZ article exploring why understanding the difference matters:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/598097/equity-vs-equality-why-educators-and-health-experts-say-understanding-the-difference-matters

What a special evening.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Equity at the School Gate exhibition kōrero and celebration event. It was wonderful to see so many people come together to reflect on the power of removing barriers and supporting tamariki to thrive.

A huge thank you to the incredibly talented for choosing Painga Project as the subject of this social documentary series and for telling our vision story so beautifully through her photography. The images capture not only the journey from screening, to Celia, to glasses, but also the dignity, hope and opportunity that sit at the heart of this kaupapa.

Thank you also to Devonport Library for supporting this project by hosting both the exhibition and opening event, and for creating a space where these important conversations can be shared with the wider community.

For us, this exhibition is about more than vision. It is about ensuring every child has the opportunity to see clearly, participate fully and engage in their educational journey.

Thank you for being part of it.