Lincoln University’s Future Leader Scholars have had a busy end-of-year, holding a fundraising walk and attending an awards ceremony.
With schools still closed in Uganda due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Fountain of Peace feeding programme at their Rwenjaza Hillside School is not permitted to restart.
Families, in this very impoverished rural area, who totally relied on the feeding programme to provide their children with a cup of porridge each school day, are now struggling to survive.
Money raised through this sponsorship walk will go towards relief packs for these families.
The 10 km walk started from Sign of the Takahe, up to the summit of the Port Hills overlooking Lyttelton Harbour, and then back through the forest and looping back to the starting point.
This represents the distance some Rwenjaza Hillside School students in Uganda walk to and from school each day when school is operating, and the distance some families will walk to receive the relief packs.
So far, Future Leaders have exceeded their target to provide relief packs to 50 families with enough raised to provide packs to 54 families.
The annual Future Leader Awards was held on 30 September.
The purpose of our Future Leader Scholarship Programme is to ‘Grow Leaders for the Future’.
Our scholars learn about leadership while they actively contribute to the university and the wider community through individual activities and group projects. The programme aims to develop well-rounded, open minded and conscious leaders.
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bruce McKenzie, presented awards to recognise individual achievement as well as the award for Project of the Year.
Professor McKenzie said the scholarship was in its fifteenth year, and that Lincoln was the only university in New Zealand to offer a specialist leadership programme open to students in any discipline by way of a scholarship with an extensive three-year development programme.
The awards were an opportunity for Lincoln to showcase our commitment to ‘doing good’ on campus and in our communities with work done by Future Leaders this year ranging from working with young leaders in schools and supporting the horticulture sector, to developing online material for Children’s University educating students on campus regarding the upcoming election.
The winning project for 2020 was the Canterbury Grower Awards, promoting horticulture in Canterbury, the opportunities it offers, and the people within the industry.
Donations are still open for Walk with a Purpose, so please support our Future Leaders by donating here to help even more families https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/university-students-walk-with-a-purpose
