40 Hour Challenge: Waikato students join thousands in challenges to boost Malawi clean water supply

World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassadors Caleb Clarke and Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck in Malawi. Photo / World Vision

This weekend, June 16 to 18, thousands of rangatahi from the Waikato region will participate in a range of fun, creative and exciting challenges as part of the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge.

Those taking part will carry out challenges over 40 hours to help raise money to provide clean water to communities in Malawi, where every day 11 children under the age of five die from diseases related to dirty water.

Challenges under way locally include:

● Waikato Diocesan students are challenging themselves to 40 hours in the school gym over the weekend, and they are also running an online concert on Thursday.

● World Vision youth ambassador Emily Ridd will complete 40 paintings to comprise a large artwork up for auction on Trade Me.

World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassador and rugby star, Caleb Clarke, says while 40 hours may not seem like a long time, the impact that can be made in just a weekend is phenomenal.

“This is a must-do youth event and one that thousands of people are getting behind again this year. It’s great to see the awesome and creative challenges young people are taking on and to know that the money they raise will be truly life-changing for kids in Malawi,” says Clarke.

To mark the event, 23 prominent landmarks around the country will light up orange in support of the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge. In the Waikato, Victoria Street Bridge will participate.

World Vision’s international partnerships director, TJ Grant, says: “Thousands of young people are gearing up to take in a range of fun and interesting challenges this weekend! We are so grateful for the support of schools, churches, families, friends, iconic landmarks and our incredible ambassadors – they are all playing an important role in cementing the impact of the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge here in Aotearoa.”

Globally, millions of children have poorer education, health and wellbeing because they don’t have safe water to drink. One in five children worldwide does not have enough clean water to get through the day and many have no option but to walk for hours to clean water sources.

Climate change is making things even harder as drought, floods and other extreme weather events destroy crops and land making it more difficult for many communities to access food and clean water.

Fundraising efforts will help World Vision continue to:

● Build new water systems so entire villages will have clean water close to home

● Bring emergency water to refugee camps

● Provide schools with hand-washing stations to protect students from diseases

● Train community members to maintain water pumps so that clean water continues to flow for years to come. World Vision’s goal is to bring clean water to everyone, everywhere it works in more than 100 countries around the world by 2030.

“Together we can bring life-changing clean water to children in the world’s toughest places and help their communities to keep clean water flowing for years to come. We’re driven to help build a future where everyone, everywhere has clean water,” says Grant.

For full details, to sign up or to make a donation visit www.40hour.org.nz. Follow @40hourNZ