You inspire us through your achievement and outstanding service. You make New Zealand great. We salute you!
New Zealander of the Year Ray Avery; for saving lives and bringing hope worldwide.
Senior New Zealander of the Year Sir Eion Edgar; for a lifetime of philanthropic service.
Young New Zealander of the Year Divya Dhar; for passionate action against global poverty.
Community of the Year Victory Village in Nelson; for building stronger, happier communities.
Local Hero Award Haami (Sam) Tutu Chapman; for extraordinary work with communities at risk.
Ray Avery, scientist and founder of the charity Medicine Mondiale, creates low cost, sustainable inventions that are making a difference to billions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. From his garage in Mt Eden, this scientist with a can do kiwi attitude has invented low cost, high quality products to aid those most in need.
His inventions include an intravenous flow controller to prevent fatal drug administration errors, a high tech low cost, low maintenance incubator, inspired by seeing cardboard boxes being used on children instead of incubators, and a nutritional food supplement using waste products from the kiwi fruit and meat industries, to combat malnutrition and hydrate and nourish children suffering from severe diarrhoeal disease.
Because of Ray Avery, 30 million cataract blind people in the developing world will have regained the gift of sight by 2020 using quality low cost intraocular lenses, produced in factories designed by Ray in Eritrea and Nepal.
Sir Eion Edgar, of Otago, has given a lifetime of service to New Zealand, in the fields of sport, the arts, health issues and philanthropy.
Throughout his life Sir Eion has filled many significant roles including chairman of the Diabetes Congress, Trustee of the Arts Foundation of Youth Development, Trustee of the Central Lakes Trust, President of New Zealand Soccer and Trustee of the Halberg Trust. He was the founding sponsor of the Edgar Sports Centre in Dunedin and the University of Otago Edgar Centre for Diabetes Research of which he is Chair of its advisory group.
As President of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, he created a programme ensuring New Zealand athletes remain competitive and bring home medals. In 2009, Sir Eion was instrumental in the success of the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games, bringing 800 athletes from 40 countries to New Zealand.
His wide spread of interests has seen his commitments span and greatly benefit many sectors of New Zealand society.
Divya Dhar, 24, from Auckland, is a campaigner for policy change, committed to bringing attention to social injustices and climate issues.
Diviya is a key leader of the Global Poverty Project. She has worked with Oxfam and Rotaract and is a former National Conference Director and Auckland Vice President of the United Nations Youth Association of NZ (UNYANZ). She is currently Vice President of the NZ Medical Students' Association (NZMSA).
Divya founded the research group, HealtheX and was instrumental in sending the first New Zealand delegation to the International Federation of Medical Students' Association, the only student organisation represented in the United Nations.
Through her efforts the NZ Medical Students’ Association was the first New Zealand organisation to join the Climate and Health Council Coalition, seeking to put pressure on government leaders to bring about climate change. All of this has been achieved alongside 6 years of a highly strenuous medical course at the University of Auckland.
Victory Village, comprising Victory Community Health Centre and Victory Primary School, is a unique example of community-based support achieving positive health, social and educational outcomes.
After evolving from a number of health and social services operating out of school meeting rooms, in a disadvantaged area of Nelson, Victory Village now actively promotes and provides accessible health services and has 90% of its students performing at or above expected achievement levels on finishing primary education.
Victory Village and the wider Victory community’s inclusive way of responding and relating to the health, education and social needs and aspirations of its residents has resulted in a sustainable community, with more effective service provision and families that are more stable and resilient.
Victory is a vibrant community, with Victory Village at its heart; a one stop provider and facilitator of health, education, meetings and celebrations.
Sam Tutu Chapman from Otara, Auckland has 40 years experience in transforming communities, particularly those who have lost hope and been rejected by mainstream society.
Community development is a lifestyle not a job for Sam and he empowers individuals, families and communities to reach their potential by helping them identify their purpose in life and what has worked for them in the past, recognising what gifts they have to achieve those goals, and the skills they need to develop in order to transform their lives. Some of his most high profile work is with gangs in South Auckland.
Sam knows there are no short-term solutions to the majority of issues the people he works with face. However, his dedication to helping others has had a multiplier effect—those that he has, in his own words, ‘journeyed with’, are now out there in turn ‘journeying with others’.