NZ students return from Mongolia

NZ students return from Mongolia

Three New Zealand high school students return from Mongolia on Wednesday October 5, after 10 days on a Sanitarium-funded travelling scholarship visiting World Vision's work.

The three students: Betheli Calvert, 16, Orewa; Chloe Murcott, 18, Hamilton; and Hyun Myung Kim, 17, North Shore-Auckland, are seeing first-hand the aid agency's work with children who have been subjected to abuse, neglect and poverty. The three were awarded the travelling scholarships for their support of the 40 Hour Famine in their schools.

Sue Bryan, Kiwi chaperone for the trip and former World Vision Mongolia worker, says the trip is going very well.

"The students are finding it very interesting, amazing, sad, enlightening and life changing. We've been doing some sightseeing for the day and they want to squeeze in another visit to the Lighthouses," Sue says.

Lighthouses are centres that provide residential and day care for children who would otherwise be living on the streets. The travelling scholars also made a night visit to the underground heating tunnels in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, where many of the Lighthouse children used to live.

The trip has been sponsored by the Sanitarium Health Food Company, which has been sponsoring student trips to developing countries with World Vision for 22 years, with a view to developing young leaders in New Zealand through global exposure and personal experience in helping the poor.

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