Chirac Story

For close to 25 years Variety New Zealand has worked to meet the needs of Kiwi kids, their communities, individual supporters and the nation.

Growing up in poverty is becoming a significant issue for more than 285,000 New Zealand children. Variety’s response was to launch the Kiwi Kid Sponsorship programme to provide ongoing assistance to children living in poverty in our own backyard.

When an individual, family or organisation sponsors a child through Variety, the regular donation helps to provide a disadvantaged child with the basics their family can’t afford. This includes, but is not limited to: bedding, clothing, books, doctor’s visits, prescriptions, school stationery and extra-curricular activities.

Sponsored Kiwi kids can now also take part in extracurricular activities like dancing, music lessons and sport, something that was not in the family budget before. Opportunities like these make children feel included and encourages them to develop goals and dreams.

One of the 580 children sponsored in 2013, 11 year Chirac, has experienced things that no child of his age should suffer. At the start of the year he refused to go to school, and eventually re-joined his class only after a week’s one-to-one tuition with the school principal.

His life turned around when he joined the Variety Kiwi Kid Sponsorship programme which funded new rugby boots, a mouth-guard and other sports gear. He has become a school league phenomenon, scoring an extraordinary 16 tries in one game to take his team to third place in Auckland.

Poverty is present in all communities and can plight a child’s life. Chirac is well on his way to a brighter future thanks to his sponsor and Variety!