Source: World Vision
Kiwi sports and music stars are calling on the nation’s youth to switch off their screens for this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge to tackle severe hunger in the Pacific.
Rugby players Caleb Clarke and Wallace Sititi, singer-songwriter Paige Tapara, and climate advocate Brianna Fruean are fronting this year’s campaign to raise funds for children in Solomon Islands facing severe food shortages caused by rising seas and unpredictable crops.
The nationwide campaign runs from 19-21 June 2026 and invites participants to go offline for 40 hours by giving up phones, gaming, social media, streaming, and even electricity, while raising funds for hungry children in Solomon Islands.
World Vision New Zealand National Director, TJ Grant, says right now, one in six children in the Pacific is living in severe food poverty [i] .
“These are our closet neighbours in the Pacific, yet nearly half of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and are not getting what they need to grow and thrive [ii] .
“This year’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge is asking rangatahi to give up their screentime for a short time to support vulnerable children in Solomon Islands, where 80% of people rely on fishing and farming for food and income [iii] , but climate change is making it increasingly difficult for families to put food on the table.
Rugby player Caleb Clarke says he’s proud to get behind a campaign to support hungry children in the Pacific.
“I have Pasifika heritage and Aotearoa New Zealand has so many close links with the Pacific, but it’s heartbreaking to know how many Pasifika kids are struggling to get enough to eat. I’d really encourage young people here to step up and do what they can to support their Pacific neighbours,” he says.
World Vision 40 Hour Challenge ambassador Wallace Sititi says the campaign is a powerful way for young people to step up.
“My family has always taught me the importance of giving back and putting others first. Going offline for 40 hours is a simple thing to do and it’s even more fun when you take it on with your mates. Together, we can make a real difference.”
Fellow ambassador, singer-songwriter Paige Tapara says in 2026 the challenge to be offline for 40 hours is truly demanding.
” I did the 40 Hour Challenge more than a decade ago, and even back then, I was scrolling on my phone, but there’s so much more to life beyond the screen. Your best memories are created offline with your mates and when you’re doing something meaningful. When you can use your time to do something good as well, why wouldn’t you?” she says.
Grant says this year’s campaign taps into a growing desire among young New Zealanders to switch off from devices.
World Vision New Zealand’s focus groups with Year 7-11 students in 2026 vii found that rangatahi say they feel tired or bored after long periods online and many admitted they would find it difficult to be offline completely. When asked what they would be doing if they were not online, most said they would be playing sport, spending time with friends and whānau, or getting outdoors.
The World Vision 40 Hour Challenge aims to help young people flip the script and turn time offline into something positive, purposeful and powerful.
Renowned climate advocate Brianna Fruean says giving young people a vehicle to instigate global change is one of the key tenets of the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge.
“I believe the way out of hopelessness is action. Doing something collectively reminds us that we’re part of something bigger. By standing together, we can be part of the change we want to see in the world.”
Funds raised in this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge will help provide families in Solomon Islands with seeds, tools, and training to grow more resilient, predictable crops so children have the nutritious food they need to grow healthy and strong.
Young people can sign up online, with friends, at school, or through their church. For more information, visit 40hour.org.nz
[i] One in six children in the Pacific region live in severe child food poverty. (UNICEF)
[ii] Almost half of children under five (47%) in the Pacific suffer from chronic malnutrition. (WVI Report)
[iii] More than 80% of Solomon Islanders depend on fishing and farming for food and income. (WVNZ – Pacific)
