Rugby star Caleb Clarke, Mai FM presenter and television host Tegan Yorwarth and Hollywood actor Julian Dennison have been revealed as the World Vision 40 Hour Famine Ambassadors for 2022.

The three well-loved Kiwis are gearing up to help to raise awareness of the global water crisis affecting millions of children worldwide.

Every cent raised in this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Famine, which runs from 1-3 July, will change everything for children who urgently need clean water close to home.

“We are delighted to have Caleb, Tegan and Julian on board this year to inspire young New Zealanders to play a part in bringing around positive change,” says World Vision New Zealand National Director Grant Bayldon.

“Each day 800 children around the world die from dirty water. It’s a sad reality that one in every five children worldwide don’t have enough clean water to get through the day. When their water runs out, they have to walk long distances and miss school to find more.”

From today, New Zealanders can sign up to take part in this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Famine and help to bring life-saving clean water to children in the world’s toughest places.

Championing the cause in his role as World Vision 40 Hour Famine Ambassador for the second year in a row is Caleb, who encourages young Kiwis to embrace this year’s challenges. Young people can choose a challenge that helps them experience what it’s like to live with limited water – for example, using only 40 litres of water in 40 hours, or collecting all the water they will use over the 40 hours in a bucket.

World Vision 40 Hour Famine participants can also get creative and choose their own challenge – such as going without something they rely on for 40 hours, like technology or transport. Or they may decide give themselves a challenge to walk, run or swim 40km in 40 hours.

“In the scheme of things, 40 hours isn’t a very long time, yet the impact we can make for children is massive,” says Caleb.

“When I first started playing rugby, one of my goals was to make a positive impact in any way possible, and to use my platform to reach as many people as I can. And now, in 2022, to continue being an Ambassador for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine makes me really proud.”

Deadpool 2 and Hunt for the Wilderpeople star Julian Dennison has participated in the World Vision 40 Hour Famine since he was a child and also encourages young people to join in this year.

“It is such a great way to make a positive difference while having fun, that’s why I love it,” says Julian, who was a World Vision 40 Hour Famine Ambassador in 2019. As part of his role, he travelled to Uganda with World Vision to see the water projects in action – a trip he said was life-changing.

In Uganda, he visited villages and saw first-hand how challenging it can be for people to get clean water, and the work that World Vision is doing to help.

“I spent some time getting to know brothers Thomas and Emmanuel. Water is life for them. The water sources World Vision had put in wasn’t just for drinking, it was also for watering their crops and for animals to drink. Being able to see the help World Vision provides was mind-blowing!,” says Julian.

Meanwhile, this is the first time that radio and TV host Tegan Yorwarth has been an Ambassador for World Vision, a role she’s embracing whole-heartedly.

“Giving people access to clean water is really important. I feel like having access to water should just be a given! But to know that there are some people that don’t have it is quite disheartening, so I am glad to be a part of helping change this.”

“I get nostalgic when I think about the World Vision 40 Hour Famine. I grew up wanting to participate in the 40HF, everyone at school was getting amongst it, and now for it to come full circle and me to be an ambassador,” says Tegan.

By taking part in challenges over the 40 hours, New Zealanders can know that their fundraising efforts will help build new water systems so entire villages will have clean water close to home, bring emergency water to refugee camps, and train locals to ensure clean water will keep flowing for years to come.

Right now, we have everything it takes to give everyone, everywhere clean water. What are we waiting for?

Sign up here to be part of the World Vision 40 Hour Famine today.

© Scoop Media