Child poverty advocacy group Mana Ririki is helping communities to lobby politicians and challenge them to fix problems faced by tamariki [children].
It's rolling out a campaign called Tick For Kids, which arms people with information about how to hold MPs and political candidates responsible for improving the wellbeing of under-nourished children.
But Mana Ririki executive director Anton Blank said in order to tackle the problem, communities need to be prepared to ask their potential MPs some tough questions.
The organisation would provide people with the tools to do that, including how to organise community events and how to challenge MPs.
Mr Blank said more than half of the 300,000 New Zealand children living in poverty were of Maori and Pacific descent.
