We’ve all tried and, if you are like me, probably failed at explaining the game of cricket to visitors from nations who don’t play the sport. Most understand ‘caught and bowled’ but the eyes inevitably glaze over when I start explaining the lbw rules and that 5 days and no result is often a great result.
It’s similar trying to explain the work of World Vision. The heart of what we do is quite simple. We work with children in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world to achieve their full potential. How do we do it? That’s when it gets harder to explain. It is, as another leader in World Vision often says, “rocket science”. At its simplest we walk alongside the communities we serve, equipping them to lead their own development. It’s not a hand-out, rather we develop local leaders, assisting them with technical support and resources. We bring to these conversations 60 years’ experience in the fields of food, water, sanitation and hygiene, economic development, health care and education. But like the cricket coach our job is not to play the game but rather to inspire, educate, observe and build resilience. And we commit to staying the course. Typically we work with communities for up to 15 years to ensure that when we leave, the community is self-sufficient and resilient.
So that is what we do internationally, what about what we do locally?
Overall, despite growing inequalities, New Zealand remains a very blessed nation and New Zealanders have a lot to offer the world in terms of the quality of our people, their curiosity and pragmatism. At World Vision we also want New Zealand to be known as a generous nation with a big heart. Like “The Willows”, we see engaging young New Zealanders as essential.
As I write we are entering a very busy time of the year for our organisation. Unlike many of the 90 plus countries World Vision works in, the annual 40hr famine is self-imposed. This year we are celebrating the 40th year of the 40 hour famine and we are hopeful approximately 1,000 New Zealand Schools and 130,000 children will take part in what has become a Kiwi rite of passage. At one level it is about fundraising, and I would like to thank Wheedle for their generous sponsorship this year. As important as the fundraising, however, is the opportunity it affords us to build leaders and advocates for a better world.
In each of those 1,000 schools will be a team of students who, with varying levels of assistance from teachers, will run the famine. With the top schools, and not necessarily the biggest, raising over $25,000 each, this is serious fundraising and needs strong leadership.
The organising students and teachers have the opportunity to attend a Global Leadership Convention (GLC) held in 5 cities, and this year over twelve hundred students attended. Only part of the day is given over to the famine as the aim of GLC is to build-up general awareness of the issues and responses to poverty and injustice. It is a call to action, which many of the young people embrace with enthusiasm.
At GLC the students are inspired by people just a few years older than themselves who are making the world a better place. This year, Alex Reese, an alumni of “The Willows”, spoke about the charity he has started – Cricket Live. The students listened intently as Alex told how his own call to action came when a Mumbai taxi driver from the slums asked how his two sons could get cricket coaching. Alex knew that in his ‘kit bag’ he had a good education, and a gift as a cricketer and coach. These skills, coupled with his passion, more than made up for any lack of experience he had. He has since gone on to make a profound difference in the lives of disadvantaged children in Sri Lanka, not only in cricket, but also in their level of education and overall wellbeing.
Alex, and other examples of young men and women like him, are a statement to young people that they can make a difference and is a challenge to adults to nurture these aspirations. In Alex’s case “The Willows” has certainly responded to this challenge, although he still faces, like World Vision, the need to raise funds to continue doing the work and to expand.
In addition to GLC we look to develop leaders through our Youth Ambassador programme (sponsored by Sanitarium), our annual senior scholarship week, plus short and long term internships.
In addition this year we are launching ‘Future Makers’ a new leadership programme that we have created with assistance from the New Zealand Leadership Institute. Future Makers will support and encourage young New Zealanders with a ‘world vision’. An initial cohort of 50 between the ages 20 to 25 will take part in a year long programme with various forms of engagement such as a five day workshop, mentoring sessions, networking opportunities, and an online discussion forum.
I am always asked “what work you do in New Zealand?” Inspiring, developing and equipping a generation of New Zealanders with a world vision and assisting them with the leadership skills and experiences seems to me a pretty good place to start. It will make for a better world and a better New Zealand.