Who's Who at ChildFund
Paul Brown
Chief Executive Officer
A long term child sponsor Paul Brown joined ChildFund in 2004. Paul has always focused on helping children in need, including volunteering on Radio Lollipop at Starship Children’s Hospital for more than five years. Prior to ChildFund, Paul spent 15 years in sales and marketing management roles in the automotive and financial services industries.
What does your role involve?
I oversee our New Zealand operation ensuring that it runs smoothly and is always focused on our main aim of putting children’s needs first and foremost. I’m responsible for setting and delivering our overall strategy – where and how we work. This includes representing ChildFund New Zealand to many different groups – including sponsors and donors, the New Zealand Government, other development agencies, our Board, and of course to our colleagues throughout the ChildFund Alliance.
What got you involved working with ChildFund?
I have always had a passion for helping children. I had been volunteering for a night each week at Starship Children’s Hospital (as a Radio Lollipop DJ) for five years when my wife pointed out the advertisement recruiting for my role. I leapt at the chance to apply. I am very interested in seeing how children develop, particularly how they remain resilient when times are tough – so being part of the ChildFund family is the perfect job to see children becoming leaders.
What’s your typical working week look like?
A typical week involves listening to lots of people - getting updates from our team about our work and impact, briefings with our Board, meetings with Government officials and phone calls with our partners in East Timor, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya and Zambia. Every day is different and brings a wide variety of conversations. There are also lots of conversations with sponsors which I love – it’s great to hear about the changes sponsors have seen in their sponsored children.
What do you enjoy most about working at ChildFund?
We are lucky to be working with such great people – both here and across the ChildFund Alliance. I am lucky in that part of my role involves visiting projects, so I get to meet lots of children and hear first-hand how they are achieving their dreams.
What is the biggest challenge?
Our work is complex and tackles long term problems, so stamina and patience are necessary. It’s really challenging when our good work is ‘interrupted’ by natural disasters, and it means that funds have to be diverted. It feels like an impossible choice sometimes having to decide where our limited funds should go.
What is your most memorable moment so far?
I chaperoned a group of kiwi sponsors on a visit to their sponsored children in Emali, Kenya. After the morning when the sponsors and their children met for the first time (which meant many tears and much laughter), the group of sponsors and sponsored children and families travelled to a very isolated part of the district – literally to a rocky outcrop in the middle of a bone-dry plain. At the base of the rock was a huge tent and we enjoyed a great barbecue – it was one of the best days of my life – seeing 50 total strangers from vastly different parts of the world coming together and becoming one big family. Later in the day I was made an honorary chief by the local Masaai. They named me ‘Olaretoni’ – meaning the one who helps. It was very humbling.
Tell us about your sponsored children
I have been sponsoring Ephraith in northern Kenya for 10 years, and it has been fascinating to watch her now grow in to a strong, confident 18 year old. I also sponsor Felixberto in Timor Leste – he is a cute little boy who is not much older than my sons. He’s a real little boy who likes toy cars.
I have yet to meet them both and I’m not the best at writing. But I do try to make time on Saturday morning to sit down and drop them a line.
I hope when my lads can write, that they can correspond with a friend who is also part of our family.
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