Wednesday November 8, 2017
New volunteering app launches in Wellington Collaborate, a new social enterprise app connecting volunteers with volunteering opportunities, was launched in Wellington with a group of 300 beta testers. The four-lady power-team won the BNZ Startup Alley and Rotary Kickstart runner-up prizes during the co-design phase of the app earlier this year. While volunteering for multiple organisations over the last five years, director Holly Norton, developed the concept with co-founders.
“We found the volunteering process cumbersome,” Holly says. So we decided to design an easy solution to find opportunities that line up with your skills and interests, one that allows you to earn rewards for your volunteering efforts.” Holly’s partners are Ceara McAuliffe Bickerton from Karori, Poppy Norton from Khandallah and Te Aro’s Sophie Seymour. With Collaborate, community
organisations post a specific task, ranging from things such as a short-term graphic design project to a social media campaign. Then they can connect instantly with skilled volunteers who indicate interest. The app will also feature practical opportunities to help out such as beach cleanups and tree planting. As the company is currently participating in Te Papa’s Mahuki programme, the initial launch will apply only to Wel-
lington-based opportunities, with a view to roll the app out nationally. Holly says she can’t wait to see the difference Collaborate will make. ”The app is an easy way for people to get involved in their communities and create positive social change. It also builds the experience of volunteers and capacity of organisations.” Sign up at letscollaborate. co.nz.
Valuing human dignity By Julia Czerwonatis
Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime. With a wealth of powerful words, Nikaiah “Kiya” Basabas presented her speech about inequality at the Stockley Cup Intercollegiate Public Speaking Competition and took out the first place for the second time in a row. Twelve representatives from high schools in Wellington joined this year’s competition held at St Catherine’s College on October 24 with each contestant giving a six to eight-minute speech about a topic of their choice. “I chose to speak about the importance of creating equal opportunities for everyone; including refugees displaced by war, and people who are marginalised by others because of their race,” Kiya, senior student at Newlands College, says. “I repeated the phrase, ‘Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime’ throughout my speech, but to point out that this saying is not always true because ‘working hard’ still doesn’t guarantee a plate on the
table for everyone.” Kiya drew inspiration for her speech from reading “hurtful, biased and uninformed” comments online on social media and news websites. “The purpose of my speech was really to remind us, who are privileged, to care for people,” she explains. Kiya points at “misconceptions and generalisations” in New Zealand about “beneficiaries lying at home wasting taxpayers’ money”; but also goes beyond our own backyards and looks at global issues. She tells other people’s stories – a Syrian journalist who, despite her qualifications, is struggling to get by with her family torn apart. Many “educated, inquisitive minds are barricaded by borders of xenophobia and hatred”, Kiya says. “I don’t know why this is the case but I have been taught how to catch fish long enough now that I know that something fundamental needs to change.” Watch Kiya’s winning speech on youtube.com/ watch?v=bT1NsXZ32H0&t=81s (search “Give A Man A Fish Speech – Kiya Basabas”).
Double Glazing with German PVC Joinery
Showroom – 29 Hutt Road, Thorndon Wellington (In Just Blinds premises)
Honorary doctorate for Dame Patsy Governor-General, Dame Patsy Reddy, will receive an honorary doctorate at Victoria University of Wellington graduation ceremony in December. Victoria University Chancellor Neville Jordan says the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws is an acknowledgement of Dame Patsy’s leadership as Governor-General as well as her previous career in law and business. “Dame Patsy has been an inspiration for women aspiring to leadership in the public and private sectors, and she continues to do so as the Queen’s representative in New Zealand.” Dame Patsy graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University in 1976 and was subsequently awarded a Master of Laws (First Class Honours) in 1979. She lectured at Victoria’s Law Faculty before joining the law firm Watts and Patterson (now Minter Ellison Rudd Watts) in 1982.
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Kiya Basabas with the Stockley Cup. PHOTO: Julia Czerwonatis
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