A South Auckland café manager tells how and why they are helping their neighbourhood

In South Auckland, one café is responding to concerns about high sugar and fast-food diets by creating a local hub where families can have fresh meals and a safe community space.

Alexander Cafe, launched in 2020 by Ōtara Health, was set up to tackle the heavy presence of fast-food outlets in the area.

The café now hosts sports teams, school groups, and church communities while also supporting local Pacific artists and small community operators.

Speaking with John Pulu on PMN Tonga, Dru Smith, the Alexander Cafe manager in Ōtara, says location is important in how the space works as it means residents can access healthy meals easily.

“It's so nice to be in a place where people can just walk down, not have to catch the bus or to Uber somewhere,” Smith says.

“A lot of the people walking in our doors are just from a couple of doors down. Those are the first people that we want to engage with.

“Coming from a church background, these are the kind of conversations that's right at home for us in our community.”

South Auckland is home to many Pacific families but also many fast-food outlets.

Watch Dru Smith’s full interview on PMN Tonga below.

According to the Māngere Food Systems Policy Project report, the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu district has roughly 85,900 residents with Pasifika making up about 60.4 per cent of the population.

The report says fast-food outlets heavily outnumber healthier food options.

The same environment also affects schools. A secondary school principal quoted in the report describes the streets outside the school gates as a "free-for-all sugar factory” before and after school despite internal rules during class hours.

Health data highlights the impact. The Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealand (EHINZ) report revealed only 33.4 per cent of Pacific five-year-olds are cavity-free when leaving early childhood education (ECE), with the Counties Manukau district recording an average of 44.6 per cent.

The Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealand (EHINZ) report found roughly one and three Pacific five-year-olds leave early childhood cavity-free. Photo/Unsplash

New Zealand Beverage Guidance Panel data also shows 49 per cent of Pacific children drink four or more sugary drinks each week. The panel has recommended banning high-sugar drinks in schools as a way to reduce health risks.

Speaking with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Bodo Lang, a Massey University professor, says this ban would be a simple and effective step.

“We've seen increasing health disparities in New Zealand between Pākehā populations and Māori and Pacific populations. Those that are most vulnerable are really suffering the most from these types of things.

“So if schools can take a small step, removing sugary drinks from their premises, that would help to close those gaps and make those most vulnerable communities just a little bit better off.”

Listen to Bodo Lang’s full interview below.

In a statement, Dr Gerhard Sundborn, a Pacific health researcher and FIZZ New Zealand Chair, says voluntary industry self-regulation is not working because school canteens often source products directly from supermarkets.

“If the drinks industry can regulate their own products to protect kids' health, then it’s time that the Government do the same. It's time to do the right thing and be on the right side of history,” Sundborn says.

For Smith, the goal at Alexander Cafe is to build a "strong family-focused community” that supports health and well-being.

“It's unlike any place for Ōtara, Māngere and Ōtāhuhu. It's been a nice place for people to create memories. I want to let everyone know in the community that our doors are always open.”

But Smith says managing a community space is becoming harder amid rising costs and inflation.

He says their team is working with their chief executive on funding ideas to help keep the space running and expand safe initiatives for local youth.

Meanwhile, Sundborn is calling for stronger policy action ahead of an August national symposium called Should Sugary Drinks Be Expelled from Schools? Which will focus on possible regulation changes.