The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) manages the New Zealand Aid Programme. It invests money, knowledge and skills to deliver sustainable development in developing countries, and make a positive difference in people’s lives through tangible results. As a sponsor of The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme, MFAT encourages our students to do the same. The NZ Aid Programme Award for International Development acknowledges a YES team whose product or service contributes to sustainable development in a developing country.

OLelei are back for their third year of YES. Their company produces dairy free alternative food products, with their most popular item being Al-Ice an almond based ice cream. The team have begun developing two new flavours for their Al-Ice range, Koko (Chocolate) and Vanilla Bean. CEO Matt Billington said his team believe connecting to the company’s heritage is very important – they want to pay their respects by using natural flavours of the Pacific. Therefore the ingredients are being sourced from Samoa and Tonga.

“Both Samoa and Tonga are thriving countries that need their exports shown to the world. We’re also gaining a pretty yummy flavour in our ice cream so it’s definitely a win-win for all involved.”