Activating healthy choices

Otago rugby player Michael Mata'afa (left) helped promote a healthy lifestyle to children like JJ Nofoaiga (12), of Bathgate Park School, through Project Activate at Otago Polytechnic yesterday.

The free school holiday programme, which aims to get year 7 and 8 Pasifika children engaged in science and healthy lifestyle choices, is being piloted in Dunedin this week.

Twelve children are involved in the programme, which includes food science lessons, physical activity lessons, a supermarket scavenger hunt and a sports tournament, as well as yesterday's cooking lesson.

Programme co-ordinator Rebecca Wilson said the group was learning to make sushi salads, along with Mata'afa and two other Otago players, who were brought in to encourage and motivate the children.

Semisi Taungapeau (12), of Kavanagh College, said the programme was "really fun'' and he was "excited'' to see the Otago rugby players.

 -by Eilish Maddock