Kiwi charity celebrates double milestone this Easter

Kiwi charity celebrates double milestone this Easter

New Zealand’s Orphans Aid International celebrates a double milestone this Easter, marking ten years of saving orphans with the release of a third documentary Finding Forever Families to continue its story.

Award winning documentary maker, Rob Harley, says he is delighted to be able to help Orphans Aid International show the public the incredible progress the organisation has made over the last 10 years.

“Orphans Aid International is a true New Zealand aid success story. It has taken the real needs of children in other countries and actually addressed them but not in a ‘one size fits all’ way,” says Mr Harley.

“Not only is this documentary a celebration of ten years of Orphans Aid International, it’s also a real celebration of how these children are doing now.”

Since opening its doors in Romania in 2004, Mr Harley says the organisation has gone from success to success with the organisation expanding into Russia, India and Uganda, while at the same time continually increasing its capacity across all of its projects.

“Their aid shops are a massive underpinning of what they do. This is a good, multi-faceted organisation that is well run. Kiwis really respond to the work they do it’s quite remarkable.”

The latest documentary also features an exciting new development in Northern India, where the organisation was given land to build a school. “This is an area where children do not currently have an opportunity to gain an education, so the impact will be absolutely life changing for them,” says Mr Harley.

Founder and CEO Sue van Schreven says when the first documentary, Someone, Somewhere Loves Me, was released nine years ago she never anticipated it would lead to more. “The first documentary was such a huge help in establishing our fledgling organisation and making Orphans Aid International a nationwide name.”

“The release of The Orphan Lady six years later gave our organisation an opportunity to show supporters the progress being made in the children's lives, so to have a third documentary released is simply extraordinary. I am thrilled to once again let our supporters see some excellent footage of the children they are helping," says Mrs van Schreven.

With so many wonderful and moving stories to tell about the progress Orphans Aid International has made over the last ten years, Mrs van Schreven hopes many people will tune in to the documentary, which screens at 7.30am on TV One, Friday 3 April.

“Please spread the word about the Good Friday screening of Finding Forever Families it really is worth watching over breakfast!”

ENDS

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