Stories

Meet Nathan

Nathan accepts that his mum, Nellie, can’t always provide. As Nellie explains, "He would say ‘Mum, my shoes are giving me blisters.’ I would say, ‘I can’t afford to replace them right now. Maybe at Christmas... Read more

Meet Precious

For 8-year-old Precious, Kiwi Kid Sponsorship has made a world of difference. She had terrible eczema that made her itchy and damaged her skin. It was easily treatable but her mum simply couldn't... Read more

Meet Henare

At 5.30 every weekday morning you’ll find Henare starting a two-hour training session at his local swimming pool. In fact, this motivated 16-year-old spends at least 18 hours a week in the water.... Read more

Meet Eden

Winter was a tough time for 7-year-old Eden. Although her mum, Deborah, budgets to get by on her very limited income, even basic essentials most of us take for granted are very often out of reach.... Read more

Meet Zac

Five-year-old Zac has suffered from serious eczema since he was nine months old. It not only makes him very itchy and uncomfortable, but it causes skin infections too. The active, art-loving Kiwi lives with... Read more

Meet Hope

Hope’s dream was a simple one. To run around for as long as her friends did in PE class. The 12-year-old Bay of Plenty girl always gave physical activities her absolute best try, but all too often... Read more

Meet Gita

Recently, a beautiful-hearted community supporter raised over $6,800 for disadvantaged Kiwi kids on the promise of shaving her head.Gita Valabl said goodbye to her lovely locks one Sunday with the family gathered... Read more

Meet Ben

Ben tried his best to join in with his class on writing and reading activities, but severe dyslexia held him back.When Ben reads he sees letters “jumping” into the words on the page, and this confuses him... Read more

Meet Jayden

Two years ago, 7-year-old Jayden found it hard to shake colds and sickness, especially in winter. He was prone to chest infections and was frequently in hospital... Read more

Meet Dannille

Meet Dannille. Things were looking up for 12-year-old Dannille and her family. Her mum had been saving up for new uniforms and had got them all ready for school to start... Read more

Meet Cherie

Cherie and her children used to live in Christchurch, but after the earthquakes in 2011 they were effectively left homeless, losing nearly all their personal possessions, furniture and appliances... Read more

Meet Ana

Ana is 17 years old and has Goldenhar Syndrome. This has caused multiple disabilities, including being born with one ear. She has severe hearing difficulties and communicates using New Zealand sign language... Read more

Meet Sistema Aotearoa

This year Variety provided the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra’s Sistema Aotearoa programme with a grant of more than $8500 to purchase a new set of woodwind instruments.... Read more

Meet Zara

Zara is a typical 14-year-old; she loves her family and spending time with her friends. She works hard at school and likes to help in her community – doing dishes and helping with baking for the local food bank. The Otago local... Read more

Meet Jesse and Dillon

Aucklanders Jesse and Dillon contacted us in 2014 to say they wanted to walk from Auckland to Taupo to raise funds for Kiwi Kid Sponsorship. Incredibly, they did the walk in just a few days, spreading the... Read more

Meet Elijah

Meet Elijah. Last week Elijah was presented with a brand new bike on the Variety Bikes for Kids tour in Northland. His mum said: “He has gone to sleep in the lounge tonight so he could sleep beside ... Read more

Meet Lockie

Meet Lockie. He is 13 years old and is severely autistic, intellectually impaired and has major sensory and behavioural challenges. His passion in life is swinging. It calms him... Read more

Meet Jade

Meet Jade. She's a happy and outgoing teenager who loves music. Jade was diagnosed with multiple disabilities from birth including Fryns-Aftimos syndrome and vision and hearing impairments... Read more

Meet Eli

Meet Eli. He's nine years old and is the second of triplets. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 14 months old. Eli’s mum has to monitor his blood glucose levels several times during the... Read more

With your help, Variety reaches Kiwi kids in need right across the country and each one has a story worth sharing. Here are just a few of those stories.