Puna Evaluation
Project Background
A key strategic response from Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu to the COVID – 19 lockdown was to create an emergency fund (the Puna Fund) to provide direct and immediate support for whānau in need of kai, power or firewood. The initial provision of this fund was evaluated by Ihi Research as part of the Manaaki 20: Evaluation of the Immediate Covid-19 Response Plan (Savage, et al. 2020). While the evaluation found high levels of satisfaction with the response, there was evidence that whānau continued to report concerns regarding employment security, future income, and whānau mental health and wellbeing (Savage, et al. 2020). The applications for the Puna Funds were open throughout the year June 2020 to September 2021. A maximum of $1000 could be applied for from each household, whānau had to meet a criteria of need.
“The power and kai grant came when we were at rock bottom. I did not know how I was going to afford food that week. But this support has given me more than food and power. It’s given me psychological and emotional relief as the stress of not knowing how I was going to buy food to feed my daughter was genuinely affecting my health. I wasn’t sleeping due to the significant stress and worry about whether I could get any food or heat another room in the house”
— Whānau
Find out how we can help you
We’ll work with you to find out what’s working, where investment could be put to best use or how to improve anything not going to plan. We can help you define success and set tangible, measurable goals. And we talk in real language so you can understand and engage with the findings. We engage with the community to conduct community research and consultations for private companies, trusts, government agencies, NGOs and more. But we have a special interest in research that has a purpose - to better society and teach lessons. We aim to help those we work with build capacity to enact positive change.
