News - Tribal Earth - art,oils on canvas stretched ready to hang,located in perth western australia.

Fair Trade Council/City

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -1100

Congratulations to Fremantle, Perth. They have become a Fair Trade Council & there will be a ceremony held on Sat 8/5/10. We look forward to other councils in WA following their lead.

BARGAINS at what price?

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Women, Men & Children the world over are trapped under poor working conditions. In many cases people have been trafficked into labour & work long hours under conditions of slavery....some perhaps producing the bargains that grace our shelves in Australia.

A Dream come True in TANZANIA.

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Ever since Scolla was little she dreamed of becoming a hairdresser. When World Vision began working in her community Scolla recieved Child Sponsorship for 7 years... the seeds were sown for that dream to become reality. She then had the chance to study....she studied hard & then got an aprenticeship. She worked hard & saved money & in 2yrs she bought her own Salon. Without child sponsorship Scolla would not have been able to to fulfil her dream. She now hopes to train her assistant & expand her business.

A Young Girls Dream

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -1100

The prospect of earning $100.00 a month was something every girl dreamt of. When a stranger arrives in an extremely poor & remote village in Laos - Thailand boasting of high paid jobs including expenses it was a great opportunity for NOY - 13yrs old to make some money to help her family. They had no idea this Man was a Human Trafficker. NOY ended up in Bangkok where she was forced to work as a domestic servant for a family who treated her badly.They told her she must work for 3 yrs before she would be free & the man who trafficked her had already taken her pay.

It is estimated that trafficking has enslaved 27 million people all over the world. An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. About 10 million, mainly girls are sexually exploited. In the asia pacific region alone there are around 127 million children working under the age of 14 - six times Australias population.

Hard to believe isn't it...But it is happening, it is REAL.

Does Aid Work - Tim Costello

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -1100

I am often asked "Does Aid Work" & I respond with a resounding "YES". The ripple effect of aid is astounding it empowers individuals & communities to help themselves. Aid is crucial in the fight against poverty. World Vision Australia currently runs programmes in 50 countries our aid reaches 12.4 million people each year. Money recieved by Australian Donors & the Australian Government goes as far as our field staff can possibly stretch it. Community self sufficiency remains the main goal. Never doubt the difference that your support makes, with out your vital contributions World Vision simply would not be able to distribute the life changing aid delivered all around the world each day.

"I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now & not defer or neglect it as I shall not pass this way again" William Penn.

Rebecca Gibney & Child Sponsorship

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Rebecca Gibney talks about child sponsorship & her committment to helping change the lives of children in developing communities. She says "If I was suffering, I would hope someone would help me. The way I look at it , it's the cost of a cup of coffee a day to sponsor a child". Once asked what is the difference between a sponsored child & one unsponsored....Is it Food, Is it Water? I said It is Education.....Children are taught to Read & Write, how to Farm, they are taught about Health Care & Transmittable Diseases they gain the basic education & life skills they need to improve their lives. I have travelled to World Vision sponsorship projects & saw communities thriving. I met children who could sleep safely at night, Children with a Home, School & access to Food & Medicine. During this economic crisis it is a trying time for Australian Families But for families from developing countries the impact is potentially devastating.

Child Rights - and Child Wrongs

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -1100

For lots of kids in Australia the opportunity of a part time job, some extra cash & a sense of independance is a rite of passage. Whats more it can be a way to develope social & emotional skills. And for most kids in Australia a job is taken on without fear of exploitation, they have rights & are protected by legal provisions. Human Trafficking is the worlds third biggest crime behind the trafficking of Drugs & Arms.There are many ways childrens rights can be violated, the most henious is when children are trafficked.

Trafficking is the recruitment, transport & transfer of people through abduction, deception or force in order to exploit. Most children in this situation end up becoming child labourers, are sexually exploited or forced into armed conflict as child soldiers. There's a good chance that the soccer ball, handmade carpet, a bag of coffee or chocolate bar you are buying has been picked or assembled by a child. In india children may spend up to 16 hrs a day rolling cigarettes...(this industry generates more than 1 billion AUD a year)

Child labour is global, but most likely to be found where their is poverty. The vulnerable, disadvantaged & children without parental protection are the prey of human traffickers.

My wish is that we start to think about what we buy, who we support & make a decision to change how we consume. Fair Trade one step at a time.

Former Child Sponsor

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -1100

About 17 years ago a child sponsor invested in the life of a little Indonesian Girl called Sri.

In the 1990's Sri & her 2 younger siblings were all sponsored children who grew up in a village not far from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Their father died before Sri was born & her mother struggled to support the family by selling souveniors to tourists.

10 years of sponsorship provided Sri with the support she needed to complete high school. She went on to university to study for a Bachelors Degree, majoring in property construction, she graduated in 2005.

After the 2006 earthquakes in Indonesia World Vision asked Sri to help them assess what was required to build a child friendly space for the young quake victims. Sri's contribution prompted world vision to ask if she would work as a full time facilitator. The team has since established 20 child friendly spaces benefiting 1,500 children. Sri's colleagues describe her as the backbone of the programme. She once benefited from World Vision's support & now she is able to give back....a colleague says she is a source of hope for hundreds of children.

Nikki's Place - Agape Home

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -1100

While in Chiangmai Thailand we had the privilege of meeting an amazing couple along with their dedicated volunteers. They are running a home for babies and children with HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a major concern in Thailand and numbers are on the rise again and more children are being orphaned by this disease. Currently there are over 300,000 children orphaned due to AIDS in Thailand. Seeing the need for a loving family environment for these children Avis & Roy Rideout established NIKKI'S PLACE/AGAPE HOME. www.nikkisplace.org (Read about Nikkis story it will touch your heart)