On Tuesday 5 May, the World Vision Committee represented Westlake Girls’ High School at the World Vision Youth Conference 2026. This annual leadership event brings together students from all across the Upper North Island, uniting them in their fight for worldwide social justice.
We engaged with the focus of this year’s campaign: severe food poverty in the Solomon Islands, where one in six children experience stunting due to malnutrition and starvation.
Throughout the day, we participated in interactive sessions that gave us a glimpse of injustice and inequality in today’s world. Furthermore, we gained insight into global challenges and considered practical ways to respond through leadership and unity.
We also had a few inspiring guest speakers and youth ambassadors speak to us about the importance of taking action, and what we could implement within our own communities to encourage change.
One of our guest speakers was Mike McRoberts; famous journalist and newscaster who presented the 6pm news at Newshub for over 20 years. Mike shared his experience in journalism, emphasising the importance of people. He highlighted how we often view war and societal injustice as simply numbers and data, rather than the reality of men, women, and children suffering through unimaginable circumstances. This really underscored the importance of empathy and humanity when approaching global injustices.
At the end of the day, our committee came back all the more ready to take on the 40 Hour Challenge at school this year. With our schoolwide goal of $20,000, we aspire to fundraise as much money as possible for struggling communities across the Solomon Islands, and provide them with the resources to find hope for a brighter future.
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By the World Vision Leadership Committee.
