VR Gives Insight into Shocking Alternate Reality

NZ Herald Launch Not for Sale Campaign with World Vision

28 September 2018 – On any given day, 10 million children worldwide are victims of modern day slavery. They become brothel-workers, child brides, domestic servants and factory workers.

NZME has partnered with World Vision to raise awareness of modern day slavery and raise funds to help those most at risk in Asia. Not for Sale: Ending exploitation of girls aims to highlight these atrocities happening in the world, and empower readers to make a difference globally.

To help New Zealand really see the reality many children are faced with, World Vision have collaborated with world-leading virtual reality filmmaker Gabo Arora to film a VR documentary.

The story follows two girls, Kavita and Manita, who grew up together in a small village in the east of Nepal. They dreamed of getting away from the village when they got older but their paths diverged; one got married at the age of 16, and the other stayed in school. The documentary shares their reflections on their very different lives.

Grant Bayldon, National Director World Vision New Zealand says, “We’re really thrilled to be partnering once again with NZME, in order to tell these very important stories. Every day millions of girls around the world are being exploited, having their childhoods taken from them in order to be married or put to work. We believe that telling their stories is a start to change lives.”

As part of the series, Newstalk ZB’s Kerre McIvor has travelled to South East Asia with Mike Scott to film video content and write for the Herald, an experience she found eye opening and sobering. McIvor says, “The most heart wrenching moment for me was seeing a 14 year old girl who didn’t even dare to dream, who was working 14 hours a day.”

McIvor also got to see World Vision’s work first hand. “What World Vision is doing in many cases is providing families with an alternative source of income, so that the children don’t have to be taken out of school, and so that children don’t have to be sent off to be married. They want to be given a chance to be autonomous, they want to be in charge of their own destinies. And for 300 dollars – I mean that struck me as absolutely absurd that a whole family’s life can be changed for as little as 300 dollars.”

NZME Planning Editor Andrew Laxon says it has been an eye-opening campaign and an important story to tell. “World Vision does some incredible work all over the world and most New Zealanders would be familiar with the organization, but a lot of people will be astounded and sobered by the reality many children face in South East Asia. These are important stories to tell and we want to provide the platform for these voices to be heard.”

Read the in depth articles and watch the gripping video content here.

ENDS

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