MEDIA RELEASE:

For immediate use 12/3/2003 12:00:29 PM

Merry Christmas to everyone except for those children that don’t deserve it.

Project AWHI launches this Sunday the 7^th December the first in a series of fundraising events for a new national innovation into Early Childhood & Community Development for underserved communities; The first being established in Otara in South Auckland.

Sam Chapman Executive Chairperson for Project AWHI, a New Zealand focused community development and humanitarian organisation has been extensively involved in international aid work. He reports that New Zealand has a proud track record of pouring resources into the “deserving poor”, within third world countries. Sadly though this may have created a perception that young children and families in New Zealand, are the undeserving poor. That is somebody, namely the Government will take care of them.

With the opening of the first purpose built centre in 2004 this centre is based on worlds best practice models, addressing effective early childhood education, coupled with transformative family and community development.

A Unicef report released this September pegged New Zealand as one of the top ranked countries for maltreatment and deaths of children in OECD countries, the highest at risk were children under three years of age. Mr. Chapman reports “that if the public perception is this is CYFS problem, then these kids will continue to be treated as the undeserving. More than even New Zealand need to rally to support our most vulnerable citizens, this event this Sunday is a start in the right direction”.

EVENT:

Christmas on ICE fund raiser for the first AWHI EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE

WHERE:

Paradice ICE Skating rink, Botany Downs, Manukau City

WHEN:

Sunday 7^th December, 2003 . 6pm-9pm

CONTACTS:
Sam Chapman (Spokes person) Phone (09) 274-1946

Mike Usmar (Media & Communications, Project AWHI NZ.) 0800-477667

Media Releases

On-line school brings at-risk kids into the 21^st Century!

8th June 2003 

Project AWHI a New Zealand Community Development Charity is completing its trial of Online School Technology in preparation of establishing community based literacy projects to assist children and families in need through New Zealand.   

The Awhi Online School ( http://awhi.online.school.nz ) has been developed from community based after school centres, funded by Project AWHI, supporting students facing serious concerns with literacy. Starting first in Otara some five years ago, Project AWHI now with the Online School aims to provide targeted communities with access and resources to assist with the set up and running of the On-line School in their community.

Hami Chapman Executive Director of Project AWHI and also a Board member of New Zealand’s largest International Aid Agency reports; “it is a recipe for disaster for those kids falling behind in their literacy. It sets them up for a life time of failure, we want to change that around”.

“This is a Kiwi charity with Kiwi solutions”, reports Mike Usmar, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the On-line School. “Each day student's in our centre, at home, libraries or their school can access our On-line teacher via video conferencing built into the Online School. They work through study material, home-work, and reading programs all at a push of a button. For students that wouldn’t normally seek help, we are finding that the On-line Teacher facility is a wonderful non-threatening way of assisting students that for a number of reasons, such as culture, low self esteem or sometimes personal trauma never seek assistance”.

The technology is being funded by a New Zealand Sponsorship programme run directly by Project AWHI. We are looking at only five new projects to deploy this resource reports Mike Usmar, and even that’s a stretch of our limited charitable dollar. Mike Usmar is aware that the Ministry of Education is seriously  looking at providing online curriculum for at risk students, by committing funding since 2001 to two Australian based State Ministerial Companies, Curriculum Corporation & education.au limited, to develop this resource jointly.

11/12/02 Christmas Appeal With A Difference

Project AWHI once again has geared up along side many charities this year to ensure that children is need won't miss out this Christmas.Over 3000 families will be receiving Christmas presents, food parcels and sponsorship to summer camp programmes for children these holidays.

We are a little different from many other charities reports Sam Chapman Executive Chairman of Project AWHI. Our teams, based in communities provide Mums & Dads with a pile of presents and food for their kids on Christmas morning, so that they can bless their kids. For us the real hero's are the parents, grandparents and extended families. So many have very little and for a number of reasons many kids would miss out during Christmas. Last year one of our teams was delivering presents to a house hold in South Auckland whose power, and we think, their water was cut off. This family was really struggling - yet they very much loved their kids. We were able to bring a little bit of happiness into the day of this family and our communities workers went back a few days latter to look at getting the power back on, whilst the kids went off to summer camp, all paid for by donations made to the Project AWHI Christmas Appeal.

I think gone is the day of simply providing on off hand outs, reports Mr Chapman - sure it make's a short term relief. But we aim for long term release of poverty and hopelessness. This is done at community level, with frontline staff employed by Project AWHI who live in that community. Then we start seeing long term change, when the community starts helping themselves.

18/07/2002 Norm Hewitt puts his hand out

Former All Black Norm Hewitt is putting his hand out along with 4500 New Zealand school children to assist New Zealand's children. In his role as a representative to the Office of the Commissioner for Children he is leading the Project Awhi Helping Hand Campaign.

Project AWHI, a New Zealand Aid and Community Development Agency launches their nationwide annual "Helping Hand Appeal" today.

New Zealand now ranks as the 5th highest developed nation for child deaths in the world , as reported in a recent Unicef study. Combine this with the high youth suicide rates, the many thousands of incident reports to the Department of Child Youth and Family and it comes as no surprise.
Yet New Zealanders remain as one of the highest givers to international aid projects per capita in the world. Norm is appealing to the same Kiwi way of giving to those at risk right here in New Zealand.

Sam Chapman, Executive Director of Project AWHI and also a Board member of World Vision New Zealand, says "We take the same principles that have worked in international development programmes and apply them to the New Zealand context. It is not a matter of chucking a heap of money at a community. Experience has taught us that long-term change must occur in a community to make any real difference. Not short term one shot fix-ups or handouts. By strengthening the community we create stronger families, and in turn a safe environment for our kids to grow up in."

Project AWHI's nationwide appeal involves over 4500 children in schools from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island. During the 9 days of the appeal children are busy making Helping Hand Cards. These are handprints of each child. People who make a donation to the appeal will be sent one of these cards.
The appeal aims to raise $150,000.00 to place key community development workers in identified communities. Project AWHI has seen good results in such projects as the AWHI Children's Centre in Otara, here with a focus on children's literacy. Many other communities will benefit from the investment made by ordinary Kiwis who love New Zealand, and care for those who really need a helping hand.

Project AWHI held a press conference with Norm Hewitt, Roger McClay (Commissioner for Children), and a representative from the NZ government at the Sheraton Hotel Auckland on Monday 22 July.

In amongst election news our children still remain important.

Contact: MIKE USMAR, phone 0800 477 667 or email: mike@4sponsor.org

10/07/2002 DoTheyCare.com

This is an independent poll interested in how ordinary New Zealanders would rank political parties on a specific issue.

The final results to the online opinion poll will be released to media agencies on 25 July 2002. At this time all votes with validated email accounts only will be tabulated.

Figure 1: Graph snapshot taken at 1:45 pm on Thursday the 4th of July 2002.