As most people are winding down to take a break over the festive season, three people from Gisborne, New Zealand are off to start the New Year volunteering in orphanages in Vietnam.
On New Year’s Eve Leah McCann, Jody Ure and Rebekah Lewis will fly out to Danang where they will take part in the Global Volunteer Programme.
They have spent the past few months fundraising to do the volunteering stint, which between the three of them is costing about $20,000.
Cash-raising Bags: Handbag designer Leah McCann (left) has created two limited edition tote bags to raise money for the Soko Soul Project, a charity that will help cover costs for people to do volunteer programmes abroad. She and Jody Ure (middle) and Rebekah Lewis fly out to Vietnam in a couple of weeks to volunteer there. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell
Ms McCann owns her own handbag design business and saw it as an ideal way she could help raise funds — not only for this trip, but for other people wanting to volunteer abroad in future.
She has created two limited edition tote bags to raise money for the Soko Soul Project, a newly-formed charitable trust.
All proceeds from bag sales will go towards the trust, with the idea behind it to raise enough money to fund travel costs for a couple of New Zealanders to do volunteer work abroad.
The first release of the bags feature designs by Ms McCann and Mr Ure, including a broken pearl string and dove print.
Mr Ure has organised an advertising sales initiative to fundraise, and the three said they had been incredibly lucky to have so much support from the community so far.
“It’s a good cause though . . . the kids over there are so disadvantaged, we don’t know how lucky we’ve got it until you see how they live,” he said.
Soko Soul Project bags will be available from The Winemaker’s Daughters Cafe and also through Miss McCann’s website, www.soko.co.nz