Over 280 poverty-stricken people helped by youth-for-youth volunteers at P3 Foundation
Glenn Family Foundation Dollar-Matches P3 Foundation Efforts
Over 280 people living in poverty helped by youth volunteers at P3 Foundation
P3 = Peace, Prosperity, Progress
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, October 19 2011
? The P3 Foundation and five other NGOs (including Oxfam and the Global Poverty Project) organized a NZ-wide fundraising campaign called ‘Live Below the Line’ (LBL) which ran between June and October. The campaign was designed to raise awareness in New Zealand of the 1.4 billion people in the developing world who live on less than $2.25 a day.
P3’s campaign successfully mobilized young New Zealanders to help address this critical global issue. Within weeks 76 participants raised NZ$17,227. This has been matched dollar for dollar by the Glenn Family Foundation.
The campaign culminated in an intense five-day challenge which took place from August 22-26 in which participants had to eat and drink on only $2.25 a day. Family, friends and members of the community were asked to sponsor them online, on their personalized fundraising page.
Several key P3 volunteers, including Shawn Moodie, took the challenge to the extreme by extending the campaign out to a whole gruelling month.
“At first, $2.25 a day really seems doable, but once you’re actually doing it, it’s so hard. Things such as your daily coffee and muffin, plus most of the food you usually enjoy goes by the wayside. I found I was generally weaker and always hungry - which made it very hard to concentrate. It really opened my eyes to what people in poverty have to deal with.”
P3 Foundation partnered with the Glenn Family Foundation which has effective operations on the ground in areas of need. Funds raised will help support the Kalimpong Village in Darjeeling, India in the basic four sectors of healthcare, clean water, sanitation and education.
Owen Glenn commended the P3 Foundation, saying they are an outstanding group.
“Seeing young people so committed to changing the poverty situation is heart-warming. I respect immensely that they are prepared to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in to make a difference. It was a privilege to have them involved as volunteers on the ground up in India, helping with the work we are doing in Kalimpong. Their donation will go to supporting new villages joining our Model Village programme later this year. ”
P3 also intends sending a group of volunteers up to Kalimpong in 2012 to give on-the-ground assistance to the villagers, sharing their skills and knowledge for their benefit.
P3 would like to thank all those who participated in the project, as well as its partners and sponsors: the Glenn Family Foundation, Hummfm, and Adage Business for their invaluable support in making the campaign a success.
About P3 Foundation
P3 Foundation is a youth-for-youth NGO which aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the Asia-Pacific within this generation. Founded in 2009 with over 40 young volunteers, it educates and encourages young New Zealanders to use their skills and talents to help eradicate extreme poverty. Along with the ‘Pay Fair Trade Forward,’ ‘Social Enterprise Competition’ and ‘World Changers Conference’ the ‘Live Below the Line’ campaign is one of these youth-focused opportunities.
Contact Persons
To speak with Owen Glenn please contact Niki Schuck PR
+64 21 911 332
niki@nikischuckpr.com
Danushka Abeysuriya
P3 Foundation General Manager and Trustee
danu@p3foundation.org