The World of Difference is a unique flagship programme run by many of the Vodafone Foundations around the world. Offering their skills and passion to a charity, participants on these projects have been highly successful and their involvement has been of huge benefit to the charities that they have supported.
Success story from Vodafone Netherlands Foundation
Nathalie Rietman
Cause: La Vecina children’s home, Columbia
Nathalie was an applicant who had already made a difference. She had set up her own foundation, La Vecina, a children’s home in Cartagena, Columbia. Before Nathalie applied to take part in World of Difference the home could give shelter to 15 orphans aged 2 to 8. Thanks to Nathalie and World of Difference , the home can expand to host 30 children providing them with education, food, care and accommodation. Nathalie also aims to encourage local projects to strengthen ties with La Vecina and its neighbours.
Success story from Vodafone Ireland Foundation
Des McDonnell
Cause: Camara
Des McDonnell from Dublin was a successful IT consultant who worked with Camara on a voluntary basis for two years before applying to take part in World of Difference.
Camara recycles and refurbishes discarded computers, before transporting them to Africa where they are installed in schools. Camara volunteers then travel to Africa to train teachers in IT education and this knowledge is then passed onto their pupils.
As a result of winning a place on World of Difference, Des is developing an interactive multimedia tool aimed at educating African children between the ages of 8-15 about HIV/AIDS and is teaching computer skills to children in Lesotho.
Success story from the Vodafone Netherlands Foundation
Antoinette van de Water
Cause: Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
Through World of Difference, Antoinette applied to work for a year with the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand to help provide a more sustainable living space for endangered elephants. Deforestation was causing elephants to eat farmers’ crops which resulted in conflict. At the time of applying to take part in World of Difference, there were only 1500 elephants in the wild in Thailand and 2000 in captivity.
Antoinette will plant 100,000 trees throughout Thailand during her year and will relocate elephants that have been used in shows or for hard labour to the Park.
Success story from the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation
Annalise Myers
Cause: Auckland Women’s Centre: Teen Parent Project
A project co-ordinator at the Auckland Women's Centre (AWC) for the past two years, Annalise Myers has been given the opportunity to spend her World of Difference year developing the AWC's Teen Parent Project (TPP), involving some 600 participants.
Annalise's own experience as a teen mother and her passion for helping young women made her an ideal role model for the young parents she meets on a daily basis at the project.
An important part of Annalise's role is to source funding to enable the ongoing provision of the project, something that her selection as a World of Difference winner will make easier as she’ll have more time to dedicate to this valuable project.
Success story from Vodafone Australia Foundation
Peter Holland
Cause: Red Dust Role Models
For two years Peter Holland volunteered with Red Dust Role Models. It’s a not-for-profit organisation that uses positive role models to promote healthy lifestyle changes for young people in remote indigenous communities and in disadvantaged areas of India, Fiji and New Zealand.
As a successful applicant for the World of Difference programme, Peter has been given the chance to work closely with the organisation to implement its strategic business plan that he helped develop as a volunteer. Using his management consultancy skills with large corporations and experience in consultation with Aboriginal groups, Peter has a set of skills that has helped Red Dust go from strength to strength.
