Operation Survive to Five: It's time to spit the dummy!

Canberra here we come...

Every year, 8.8 million children under 5 die of preventable causes like birthing complications, pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. If that’s not a good enough reason to spit the dummy, I don’t know what is!

So listen up, all you die hard campaigners:
We are sending 40 passionate and inspiring VGenners to Canberra as part of Operation Survive to Five to lobby the Australian government on this issue before the election. We want to see aid levels increased to 0.7% GNI so we can deliver on our Millennium Development Goal commitments to reduce child mortality (MDG 4) and improve maternal health (MDG 5).

There will be wild and wacky stunts, face-to-face meetings with MPs (as part of Voices for Justice), community campaigning, a gala dinner, and....well, you’ll just have to wait and see! To find out more, check out our flyer. Places are free, but limited, so you will need to fill in an application form to be considered.

Hope to see you there!

Christine and Jess
(Operation Survive to Five Coordinators)

APPLY NOW
Applications close 31st March

VGen's Big Day Out for Haiti

Written by VGen Vic State Director, Jas Zapka

What do you think of when you hear the words: 'Big Day Out'?

I think one of the coolest days out a young person can get.
I think heaps of bands, heaps of people and a great atmosphere.
... oh did I mention a silent disco too?

When Vision Generation (VGen) was offered the chance to be at the Melbourne Big Day Out (BDO), Seb, Laura & I jumped at the chance to be there!

Try this for an equation:

Big Day Out + Raising Money for victims of the Haiti Earthquake + Chatting with the punters about VGen = Awesome!

For us, it didn't really get much better.

The view of one of the main streets in Port-Au-Prince - the reason we were at the Big Day Out! REUTERS/Jorge Silva, courtesy www.alertnet.org

Jumping with excitement Seb, Laura and I arrived at 9am all set in our black VGen tops and shaking money tins. Come 10.30 and the crowd began to roll in - and oh boy did they roll in!!!

The day flew by as we rattled tin after tin - thankful for any and every donation.

But it wasnt all work, we got to catch a few acts including Powderfinger (above left), Lily Allen (above right),  Jet,  and Lisa Mitchell. Not bad at all! (Note: These pics are from the Big Day Out Photostream on Flickr)

Apart from almost being crushed in a mosh we managed to collect over $1000 in under 12 hours. Pretty tidy effort!

We left tired but happy, with a new found appreciation for those people that stand on street corners and rattle tins. It's not an easy gig!

But most inportanly we learnt that we need to do what we can to help others - in this case the victims of the earthquake.

Act Now for Haiti:

• Donate NOW to World Vision's Haiti Earthquake Appeal
• Catch the latest updates from the World Vision Website
• Read STIR's "Insiders' Guide to Haiti"
• Contact Jas & the Victorian VGen Team to find out how you can get involved in the future