20 May 2005

Top 40 Hour Famine schools announced

World Vision has just announced the 21 senior school scholarship winners and 20 intermediate school scholarship winners for this year's 40 Hour Famine, a selection that will eventually see three senior students selected for Sanitarium Travelling Scholarships to Mongolia.

Each of the 21 senior schools has the opportunity to select a student to attend the Sanitarium scholarship week in Wellington in July. Scholars are chosen for their leadership skills, commitment to the 40 Hour Famine and helping organise it in their schools.

The scholars will spend a week in Wellington learning what New Zealanders can do about poverty and developing their leadership skills. This will include meeting politicians such as Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marian Hobbs, and visiting non-government organisations including Volunteer Services Abroad and the Council for International Development.

Three students will be chosen from those attending the senior scholarship week to travel to Mongolia on the Sanitarium-funded scholarship to get a first-hand look at the problems facing the developing world. They will visit 40 Hour Famine funded projects such as the Mongolia Street Children project, and a community care project for mentally disabled children.

World Vision CEO Helen Green says the scholarship programme began in 1983 and gives students the chance to visit World Vision projects overseas to learn how aid can help the poor.

"Hundreds of students have been on the scholarship programme, and they come away with a huge amount of enthusiasm for helping the poor. It also gives them a sense of pride to see how their school is making a real difference to people's lives."

Intermediate Schools: This week World Vision also named the 20 intermediate school scholarship winners for raising funds for the 40 Hour Famine.

The 20 schools will have the chance to send a pupil to intermediate scholars' week in Auckland sponsored by Just Juice. Intermediate scholars will also learn more about aid and development while enjoying outings, fun and games.

The top 21 high schools are (alphabetical listing): Bethlehem College Senior Burnside High School Christian Renewal School Kingsway School Snr Macleans College Marlborough Girls' College Middleton Grange School Snr Mt Roskill Grammar School Paeroa College Palmerston North Girls High Reikorangai Christian College Saint Kentigern College (Senior School) St Orans College Strathallan College The Catlins Area School Waikato Diocesan School Wakatipu High School Wellington College Wellington Girls' College Westlake Boys' High School Westlake Girls' High School

The top 20 intermediate schools are: Bethlehem College (Jnr) Bucklands Beach Intermediate Elim Christian College (Junior School) Farm Cove Intermediate Glen Eden Intermediate Hillview Christian School Hutt Intermediate Matamata Intermediate Middleton Grange School (Int) Northcross Intermediate Remuera Intermediate School Richmond View School St Cuthberts College Jnr St Georges Preparatory School Saint Kentigern College (Intermediate school) St Kentigern School Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Somerville Intermediate School Southern Lakes Christian School Te Kura O Waikare

St Kentigern College raised a record $78, 081.25 in the 40 Hour Famine, the most ever raised by a school in the 30 year history of the Famine.

The two most improved senior schools are Strathallan College with a 95% increase on their total dollars raised last year, and Marlborough Girls' College with a 74% increase on their last year's dollar total.

The two most improved junior schools are Somerville Intermediate with an extreme 219% dollar increase on their last year's total, and Remuera Intermediate with a 108% increase on total dollars raised last year.

ENDS

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