This year’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge kicks off on Friday with rangatahi preparing to take on a range of challenges to raise funds for World Vision to help fight the impact of climate change in the Asia-Pacific region.

For 40 hours from 8pm on Friday night until 12 noon on Sunday, tens of thousands of young people around the country will be doing their bit to make a positive difference for the children most impacted by climate change.

Many will be taking on climate-focused challenges, such as planting 40 trees in 40 hours, 40 hours in nature, or a 40 hour 4km beach clean-up.

Meanwhile World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassadors are taking on their own challenges. Content creators Win Wolf, Judah Metu-Teaukura and Liv Martin have been doing 40 acts of kindness, while actor Kimberley Crossman is doing 40 hours of good deeds.

Clothing that has been upcycled by some of this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge ambassadors; Win Wolf, Liv Martin, Kimberley Crossman, climate activist Brianna Fruean and singer-songwriter Paige Tapara during a 40-minute challenge, is being auctioned on Trade Me. All proceeds will go to the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge. The auction closes at 5pm on Sunday 23rd June.

Long-time World Vision Ambassador Caleb Clarke has his own challenge ahead, as the Blues and Chiefs face off in the Super Rugby final at Eden Park on Saturday night. Eden Park will be lighting orange for the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge on Sunday night, and the Sky Tower will be orange over the weekend and integrating blue lighting for the Blues’ game on Saturday. They comprise more than 20 landmarks around Aotearoa lighting orange during the weekend.

Rugby player Caleb Clarke says; “The World Vision 40 Hour Challenge is really special because it gets New Zealanders on board to help other people around the world in need. I think the coolest thing is giving back to people who are less fortunate than yourself.”

World Vision National Director Grant Bayldon is planting 400 trees in 40 hours at Awhitu Peninsula, while World Vision Youth Ambassador Paige Catlin-Maybury is inviting people to bring their dogs to learn 40 tricks at Auckland’s Narrowneck Beach from 12 – 4pm.

In Christchurch, students from Middleton Grange School are doing a 40-hour radio broadcast and A Rocha Aotearoa NZ is running a Conservation Day for youth groups at Spencer Park on Saturday from 12.30 - 2.30pm.

Life FM DJs are making a road trip across both the South and North Islands in electric vehicles visiting 40 towns along the way, kicking off today.

A group of 18 young adults will be writing 400 postcards to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addressing issues that are important to them as the youth of Aotearoa.

This year the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge is in its 50th year and the campaign’s focus is to partner with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis to help restore forests – fast.

World Vision 40 Hour Challenge Ambassador, TikTok content creator Win Wolf, travelled to Timor-Leste in December to see the regreening approach World Vision is using in partnership with communities across Asia and the Pacific.

He says the technique, known as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), will be a total game-changer for the children of Timor-Leste who have lost 90 percent of their original forests. Win says he found hope in the work World Vision is doing to help regreen communities in Timor-Leste.

“The regreening technique is so simple and involves tapping into existing root networks to regrow trees. It’s much faster and more effective than planting new trees!”

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