300 days of access to much-needed raincoats for protection in New Zealand

Impact Level

Project managed by: KidsCan Charitable Trust

Country: New Zealand

Project Description

Put a financially disadvantaged child in a better position to learn in class by providing him or her with a fleece-lined raincoat. Children without coats are often kept home from school when it rains and those who do go to school turn up wet and cold, increasing their tendency to get sick. Your provision of a raincoat will help to increase school attendance while keeping them warm and dry, enabling these children to focus better in school.

More About This Project

Since 2005, over 345,000 raincoats have been received by children attending KidsCan partner schools. Raincoats are given to all new partner schools with top ups provided along the way as the children grow out of their raincoats.

For families struggling to make ends meet, providing raincoats for their children can be a real challenge–thousands of Kiwi children go without this basic item. The cold winter weather keeps many at home, while others arrive wet and freezing, unable to concentrate and at high risk of illness.

All children within a KidsCan partner school receive a raincoat, this improves equality in the playground and reduces stigma. Our research confirms that the raincoats positively influence a child’s attendance, self-esteem, motivation, participation and engagement at school.