Otago Toitū Te Taiao | Sustainability Office project manager – student engagement Jesikah Triscott says Te Oraka has gone from strength to strength since opening in 2022. Pictured from left, Abigail and Maggie collect student donations during a Te Oraka donation drive.
Te Oraka, the student-run thrift shop on the University of Otago’s Dunedin campus, has helped prevent more than two tonnes of pre-loved clothing and other items potentially going to landfill last year.
In doing so, the thrift shop has funded three summer scholarships and supported 75 hours of academic projects.
Jesikah Triscott
Otago Toitū Te Taiao|Sustainability Office project manager – student engagement Jesikah Triscott says Te Oraka has gone from strength to strength since opening in 2022.
“What started as a simple student-led thrift shop has grown into something far more powerful,” she says.
“Te Oraka is now a busy space of connection, sustainability and student wellbeing. More than just a place to pick up a second-hand gem, Te Oraka is a circular initiative where every dollar earned goes straight back into supporting students.”
Jesikah says Te Oraka recently published its 2025 Impact Report, which details how students have jumped behind the shop’s mahi and helped grow a community which is good for wallets and the environment.
“What started as a simple student-led thrift shop has grown into something far more powerful.”
Highlights for 2025 include
- More than 524kg of student donations received
- More than 12,350 students through the door
- 861 paid student hours
- More than 3,450 in-store transactions
- 111 per cent increase in sales from 2024
- 117 pre-loved bikes sold
- 378 e-rescue items sold
- 238kg of clothing swapped
Students select pre-loved beads for a Crafty Club repurposing workshop at Te Oraka.
Jesikah says that another key impact of the space is the opportunities it creates for students.
“From paying our Te Oraka student team a living wage to now funding summer scholarships, the space is – at its core – for students, by students,” she says.
“We have scholarships exploring how kai in our gardens can grow to support our community, how we can utilise podcasts to better engage students and staff, and how we can learn from our Tētēkura alumni (past student leads).”
Chief Operating Officer Stephen Willis says Te Oraka helps to bring Tī Kōuka – the University’s Sustainability Strategic Framework to life through practical, values-driven action.
“Te Oraka plays a central role in ensuring students experience sustainability in how they live, connect and engage with our Ōtepoti campus and community,” he says.
“It demonstrates what can be achieved if we empower students to lead and shape the campus experience for other tauira.”
One of this year’s Te Oraka student volunteers, Maggie Huang, says she appreciated the opportunity to be a part of something genuinely meaningful.
“From supporting local businesses to connecting with the student community, this role has taught me so much about engaging with the different systems in innovative and sustainable ways,” Maggie says.
“It was eye-opening to experience a truly for-good approach to business, one that prioritises people, purpose and impact.”
– Kōrero by Manager, Communications Advisory Service Jamie Shaw
Te Oraka
Te Oraka is more than just a thrift shop. It's also a busy space of connection, sustainability and student wellbeing.
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