Lila & Bonnie !

World Vision 40 Hour Challenge

Kia ora!

We’re Bonnie Buckman and Lila Pinker, Year 12 students from Iona College, and this year we're taking on the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge to help raise funds for children and families in the Solomon Islands.

When we first heard about the challenge, we didn't want to simply give something up—we wanted to create an experience that would challenge us, change our perspective, and inspire others to make a difference.

That's why we've created "40 Hours Walking in Their Footsteps."

For 40 hours, we'll be stepping away from many of the comforts we often take for granted. We'll be living outdoors in a tent, sleeping on the floor, eating only simple meals, giving up technology and unnecessary electricity, carrying water throughout the day, walking instead of driving wherever possible, and living as simply as we can.

We know that 40 hours can never truly represent the realities faced by children and families in the Solomon Islands. Our challenge isn't about pretending to experience their lives—it's about taking a small step outside our comfort zones to build empathy, raise awareness, and stand in solidarity with communities facing challenges every day.

Throughout our challenge, we'll also be completing acts of service within our own community. To finish our 40 hours, we'll deliver handwritten messages of encouragement and flowers to healthcare workers at our local hospital as a way of spreading hope and thanking those who care for others every day.

We're raising funds so families in the Solomon Islands can access the seeds, tools, knowledge, and support they need to grow food and build more secure futures as they face the challenges of a changing climate. Across the Pacific, too many children are still living with food insecurity, and together we can help create lasting change so more children have the opportunity to grow up healthy, strong, and hopeful.

Your support, no matter the amount, will help World Vision work alongside communities to create sustainable solutions that last for generations. If you're able to donate, we would be incredibly grateful. And if donating isn't possible, sharing our page with your friends, family, workplace, or social media is another powerful way to make a difference.

Now is the time to stand alongside our neighbours in the Pacific. Together, let's turn 40 hours into lasting change.

Thank you so much for supporting our journey. 💙