Part of the award winning Koha Kai team, project leader Janice Lee, seated; standing from left, Carole Power, Anne-Marie Bone, Matt O'Neill and Samantha Lee.

Award-winning organisation Koha Kai has come a long way under the guidance of its founder Janice Lee.

The Invercargill-based programme provides food and services to groups in the city. It is a vocation education programme focusing on teaching people with disabilities to grow vegetables and to use them in making meals.

Lee, who is also Koha Kai's project leader, was told this week the organisation had won the people and capability section at the New Zealand Māori Business of the Year Awards.

A registered charity, Koha Kai was also a finalist for the Supreme Business Award, while Lee made the top three for the Business Woman's title. She plays down her individual honour in being a finalist, preferring to praise her staff, trainees and supporters for their help in making Koha Kai a national award winner.

"It's really exciting ... these awards are judged by professional business people in New Zealand," Lee, who founded Koha Kai in 2014, said.

Trainees in the Koha Kai programme are people with disabilities. Lee sees a lot of the trainees' confidence levels lift through the vegetable growing and meal preparation activities.

Growing a vegetable from a seed and using the finished product to make a meal was satisfying, Lee said.

"The skills they are learning with us can transfer into their own lives.

"They're learning about nutrition, gaining new skills and friends."

Being part of a team working together to create food-meals gave trainees the confidence to back themselves in different situations, including seeking employment, Lee said.

About 20 have found part-time or full-time employment in the past two years.

Vegetables are grown in school and community gardens and on people's properties. Koha Kai uses cooking facilities at four primary schools - Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, St Josephs, St Patricks and New River Primary.

Meals are made four days a week and available at $2 to school children. About 500 meals are eaten by school children a week.

Surplus meals are frozen and sold at The Pantry in South City to help cover costs.

Koha Kai will soon be given a new trailer to transport cooking equipment which will allow its workers to prepare food outdoors. Money raised at the Fight For Kidz in Invercargill recently will pay for the trailer.