On this Waitangi Day, it’s important to take time to think about how we can encourage a greater level of selflessness and creativity to build healthy and more equal communities across New Zealand.
Kiwibank’s Local Hero Award aims to identify ‘everyday people doing extraordinary things’ in their local communities. It recognises the enormous contribution, sacrifice and commitment of Kiwis who selflessly work to make their local communities a better place.
One of those recognised in the 2015 Local Hero Awards was Salvation Army Education and Employment (E&E) tutor Joseph Cropley of Oamaru. As you’ll see from this edition’s story about Joseph’s work, this is someone who firmly believes in the power of one individual to effect change in people’s lives.
Flick on a few more pages and you’ll see a story about some E&E students who finished 2015 with a celebration of their academic successes. As E&E National Director Gregory Fortuin says, ‘The achievements of these people who have failed in or been failed by mainstream education are amazing. Where once they were seen as failures; now, with the right encouragement, they’re able to achieve.’
The E&E tutors and support staff I’ve met are tenacious individuals who don’t like to give up on anyone and gain immense satisfaction from seeing students succeed and grow in self-confidence. New Zealand is blessed with a great educational environment, but one size does not fit all. For those who don’t suit the traditional school system (for whatever reason), along with others who’ve had either a few false starts or simply need to be pragmatic and retrain in a field that offers greater employment opportunities, it’s great to know that The Salvation Army is ready to help.
This week, it’s a pleasure to welcome Major Shar Davis to the War Cry team. It will take a few weeks before Shar is in print, but we’re delighted to have her join us and are also looking forward to her contribution to the wider work of the Communications Department team.
Christina Tyson
Editor
Romans 8:37 New International Version
‘No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’
Rōma 8:37
‘Engari i enei mea katoa hira ake te wikitoria i a tatou, he mea nana i aroha nei ki a tatou.’