Starting Young
Jeremy and Ben give away one third of their pocket money. Every week they save a third, spend a third and drop a third into their moneybox marked 'charity'.
It takes them roughly a year to fill the moneybox. When it is full, their parents match the amount, then the boys do some research and give to a cause that matters to them. This year they had $180 each to give.
13-year-old Jeremy gave to Aids in Africa while 9 year-old Ben gave his share to Darfur, the capital of Sudan. They used the Internet and spoke to experts to find the organisations they felt would use their money wisely.
Both boys have a simple explanation for why they give. Jeremy: "It feels like the right thing to do." Ben adds "Imagine if everyone filled a moneybox once a year and gave it to charity. That would be a lot of money going towards helping others."
They do not spend a lot of time thinking and talking about their giving, but Ben has discussed the idea with his school friends "They think what I do is good. They say they might try it, my friends are good at thinking about others."
Jeremy and Ben think Kiwi kids could start splitting their pocket money as soon as they understand there are people worse off than themselves.
Jeremy would like to see us give more, "Maybe because of where New Zealand is situated people think this is not of my doing, they don't relate to what others' lives are like. But the poor are getting poorer."
Both boys say there are plenty of people who need help in New Zealand as well as overseas. "It's just we don't hear about them as much."
Jeremy says they just hope to make a difference. "It may only be in a small way but if we can have a positive affect on people's lives then that is great. Jointly everyone can make a big difference, even if individuals can't afford to give much."