"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." African Proverb

Last Tuesday, ten Queen’s girls (two students selected from each year level) had the privilege of attending the World Vision Youth Conference 2025. The day was packed with insightful speakers, intriguing challenges, and extraordinary inspiration.

We gained valuable insight into leadership, with a powerful speech from Deborah Manning ONZM, founder of KiwiHarvest Food Rescue. Deborah Manning was named Sustainability Leader of the Year in the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards in March 2025 and was honoured on the King's Birthday Honours List in 2024. She shared her journey on how she began her work, what drives her and gave us advice on unlocking our full leadership potential. One message that stood out was this: We shouldn’t chase a successful life, but an extraordinary one. We must first unpack our inner “why” and understand who we are as individuals in order to lead others with passion, curiosity, and courage,

We also heard from Roy Wasi, a young man from the Solomon Islands, who spoke about the devastating impacts of climate change on his community. He shared his personal story and his experience speaking in front of the United Nations. During the Q&A sessions with all the speakers, we had the chance to ask questions, deepen our understanding, and explore new and specific perspectives on leadership.

Another highlight of the day was the sense of whanaungatanga we built with other young leaders from across Otago and Southland. It was inspiring to connect with peers who are just as passionate about making a difference.

Overall, the conference was genuinely life-changing. The people, the stories, the energy, the leadership, it was all there. We walked away feeling empowered, inspired, and motivated to lead our own 40-Hour Challenge at Queen’s and find ways to encourage each student to participate. We can’t wait to see the impact we can make together!

The quote that was repeated throughout the day was:

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." This quote highlights the fact that neither ways are bad, but both have different benefits. Sometimes, we need to send one person to go alone and do something fast and efficiently. But often, to go far, we can only move forward collectively.