The meaning of ‘KOHA’:

~ A gift or donation with some expectation of reciprocation. An exchange of energy, of giving and receiving ~

What we often hear from the people who cross our path are things like: “Thank you for the work you do. Thank you for the amazing food you serve us. Thank you for including me. Thank you for what you do for my family. Thank you for the difference you are making in the community. We are so lucky.”

What people don’t realise is – for every expression of gratitude we receive as we pass through our day – there is an equal and opposite reflection of that expression in what we experience.

When someone says “Thank you for the work you do” we think “Thank you for giving our work value”.

When we hear “Thank you for the amazing food you serve us”. We think “Thank you for justifying the pride we take in preparing this food for you”.

When we hear “Thank you for including me”. We truly think “Thank you for acknowledging us”.

“Thank you for what you do for my family” gives us a sense of appreciation of our own families.

“Thank you for the difference you are making in the community” lets us know that we are making a valuable contribution to the greater community that we are part of.

“We are so lucky”…..consider the fact that before we began this project practically nobody had a reason to see the people who make up our team, and therefore had no reason to speak to them, to appreciate them or to say thank you. Now people smile, wave, call out or take the time to chat as we pass through our day.

Who are the lucky ones???? Not everybody has the opportunity to experience the joy of giving. We are very lucky, because we do.

Koha – an exchange of energy – of giving and receiving. A very small word with tremendous power.

Kia Kaha, Koha Kai