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Oke Charity

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Oke Charity

Oke Charity grows mighty kids by building outdoor classrooms
in local schools.

The primary question we always ask at OKE, is how will what we do make a difference to the children in five years time as well as helping the kids today? There are a vast number of amazing charities implementing wonderful initiatives to resolve issues today, but will they still be running those initiatives in five years time? The projects we look to implement are long term self sustainable project

s which once implemented will not only give the kids today the pride of implementing said projects but will also serve to help kids years down the track and avoid the tribulations faced today by many young kiwis.

26/08/2026

There she is, our very own Alisi Kivalu! 🙌🏽💚

Alisi has spent the past five years getting stuck in alongside schools, tamariki and volunteers, helping transform empty spaces into thriving outdoor classrooms.

We couldn’t be prouder to see her recognised as a Westfield Manukau Local Hero finalist.

A $20,000 grant for Oke is at stake, and every single vote matters. Please take a minute to vote for Alisi, then share this post with your whānau, friends and networks.

Let’s show everyone just how mighty the Oke community is! 🌱💚

Voting closes 20 September.

24/08/2026

🌱 Fancy getting your hands dirty with Oke?

We’ve got three working bees coming up and could always use a few more willing hands:

🛠️ St Joseph’s School, Ōtāhuhu - Tue 25 Aug
🛠️ Stonefields School - Thu 3 Sept
🛠️ Ohinewai School, Waikato - Sat 12 Sept

No gardening expertise required. If you can push a wheelbarrow, move some soil, plant a plant or generally make yourself useful, we’ll find you a job. 😁

A few hours of your time helps us create something these school communities and their tamariki will use for years.

And there’s nothing quite like standing back afterwards and saying, “We built that.” 💚

🙋 Keen? Drop us a DM or register at oke.org.nz/working-bees

23/06/2026

Five years ago, Oke teamed up with Fletcher Living, Rotary and the Te Papapa School community to build an Outdoor Classroom designed to last.

Over the years, the Morrifield Tunnel House has helped tamariki learn, grow and get their hands dirty. But after five years of Auckland weather, little fingers and a couple accidents, it was looking a little worse for wear.

Today, our Chief Go Getters Michelle and Alisi headed back to Te Papapa School to give it some much-needed TLC, replacing the cover and battens and bringing it back to life.

Because building an Outdoor Classroom is only part of the story. Making sure it's still thriving five years later matters just as much.

A huge thank you to the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board for helping make this project possible.

Here's to the next generation of mighty kids 🌱

22/06/2026

One year. One community. Lasting impact. 🌱

Just over a year ago we rolled up our sleeves alongside the Ōtāhuhu Intermediate whānau and built this Outdoor Classroom.

Today? It's thriving.

That's the magic of an Outdoor Classroom. The working bee lasts a day, but the impact lasts for years.

💚 Built to last. Growing Mighty Kids 💚

10/06/2026

🌱 Meet Oke's Mini CEO 🌱

Ten years ago today, Oke held its first official working bee at Papatoetoe East School.
One of the youngest volunteers on site was a 13-month-old boy armed with a toy wheelbarrow, a plastic spade and absolutely no idea what was going on.

That little boy was Taylor.

Fast forward ten years and Taylor is now 11 years old, in his final year at Papatoetoe East School, and proudly holds the title of Oke's Mini CEO. More importantly, he's still using the very same outdoor classroom that volunteers helped create back in June 2016.

At Oke we often talk about impact, legacy and long-term change. But sometimes impact looks a lot simpler than that.

Sometimes it looks like watching a toddler grow into a young man while continuing to benefit from something his community built when he was barely old enough to walk.

Today, the original garden has grown into a thriving outdoor classroom complete with additional gardens, beehives, chickens and The Garden Shed. Thousands of tamariki have used the space over the last decade, but there's something pretty special about seeing our Mini CEO's story woven through the entire journey.

Today Oke celebrates ten years since that first working bee.

Taylor has grown up.
The garden has grown up.
And Oke has grown up too.
That's what ten years of impact looks like. 💚🌱

13/05/2026

Another Oke working bee done and dusted. What starts as an empty patch of grass becomes an outdoor classroom that kids will use for years. Not just for gardening either. These spaces become places for learning, wellbeing, connection and the kids who don’t always fit inside four walls.

What people don’t always see is the mahi behind the scenes. The working bee is one day but the project management, funding applications, planning, supplier coordination, stress and logistics goes on for months.

Oke runs lean as possible and these projects absolutely do not pay for themselves. So if you back what we do and want to help us support more schools across Aotearoa, please donate to Oke ❤️

Link in bio.

29/04/2026

We're at St Joseph's Catholic School Onehunga today, helping to get their awesome outdoor classroom to get back up and running! Huge thanks to Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board for funding and to the amazing volunteers from Oyster Property Group for their mahi; 🌱💚

20/04/2026

Imagine if Spider-Man existed… but no one ever told you how Peter Parker got bitten. He’d still have amazing adventures, but understanding how it all started is kind of the whole point.

That’s pretty much how the Oke story has been told for the last ten years. You’ve seen what we do. Outdoor classrooms. Community builds. Tens of thousands of tamariki impacted. It looks like it was always meant to happen.

But it wasn’t. What makes this story different is there was never any intention to create Oke.

No strategy. No grand plan. Just an annual fundraiser, the Head2Head Walk and a moment where something didn’t make sense, so something was done about it.

Oke wasn’t planned. It was a response.

From that, a charity grew. And then there’s the name… do you know what “Oke” means?

We’ve finally shared the full origin story and you can read it here 👇
https://oke.org.nz/the-oke-origin-story/

01/04/2026

Two years ago, Michelle, one of our awesome Oke Chief Go Getters, organised an Oke Working Bee at Onehunga Primary to build their outdoor classroom. We had an awesome bunch of kids on the day, who helped shape the space.

Yesterday, Michelle went back and checked out what the next generation of Onehunga Primary kids have been up to. They were harvesting yellow watermelons grown from seeds they had saved themselves. For many, it was their first time ever trying one and they were so excited.

There's really no better way to demonstrate what these spaces mean to kids and the schools we work with. A lot of time, energy and funding goes into bringing an Oke classroom to life but those smiles are worth it 🌱💛

Well done Onehunga Primary, you should be very proud of your latest harvest 🍉

Address

PO Box 76236, Manukau
Auckland
2241

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 3pm
Tuesday	9am - 3pm
Wednesday	9am - 3pm
Thursday	9am - 3pm
Friday	9am - 3pm

Website

http://oke.org.nz/

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