Australian Wallaby and Western Force flanker and its Captain, author and charity worker, David Pocock, just 23 years old, now has his face on a commemorative postage stamp, recognition for both his performance over 40 tests and his tireless charity work.
He was 2011 Western Australia?s Young Australian of the Year, again for his rugby prowess and his commitment to the charity he founded, EightyTwenty Vision.
The star loose forward is an inaugural Western Force player who made his Super Rugby debut as a teenager and quickly established himself as a vital member of the West Australian side. He progressed to international ranks in 2008 and won the 2010 John Eales Medal as the best performing Wallaby. In the past two years he has been amongst elite company as a nominee for the International Rugby Board ?Player of the Year?. He is generally considered in line to become Captain of the Wallabies and most advocates of the game believe it?s just a matter of time, which at 23, he still has plenty of.
In a short period of time, this outstanding up and coming sportsman has not only made an immense impact on the rugby field but his humanitarian efforts have brought hope to disadvantaged communities in his native Zimbabwe.
In 2009 David established the charity, EightyTwenty Vision alongside close friend Luke O?Keefe.
He has worked tirelessly to raise funds for projects focussing on health care for HIV and AIDS sufferers, education for children, food and water security, and human rights. He is also active at the coalface and regularly travels to Africa to assist in projects and ensure they?re delivering real outcomes.
Dave grew up in Zimbabwe, moving to Australia with his family when he was 14. Eightytwenty Vision works with the people of Nkayi, Zimbabwe, helping the community to increase their capacity to sustain themselves and their communities.
Growing up in ?Zim? as he refers to his country of birth ?was not without its challenges?, says David, but ?has been one of the major things that has shaped how I view the world?.
?I obviously had a pretty charmed childhood growing up on a farm with two brothers for playmates and friends. We were allowed to do so many things from driving cars and motor bikes to hunting and making traps to hours of kick, receive in the back garden.
?Zimbabwe has such a diversity of flora and fauna and as a child I was definitely taught to appreciate and understand these things. As an adult this has stayed with me. I am very passionate about wildlife conservation and environmental protection because of this early understanding of the synergy of our planet.?
Living in Zim, Dave experienced the very obvious disparity between the way his family lived and others in their community. ?That difference was especially highlighted when we moved to Australia. Understanding that while farms had been taken from the white farmers they hadn?t been given to the black farm workers who knew how to run them and who could have so benefitted from being given that opportunity ? instead they were given to Mugabe?s political and military allies. This meant that the cycle of poverty was perpetuated and actually worsened. Being born white in Zimbabwe meant that we were able to leave when things turned bad in Zim. It meant we had the opportunity (because of our finances) to come to Australia. Many of the children I grew up with did not have that same opportunity and, being from the Ndbeli people group, they were almost guaranteed a life of struggle.?
Dave sees the work of Eightytwenty Vision as an opportunity to help bring about sustainable and long lasting change, restoring the dignity of people and allowing them to live lives that reflect a hopeful future.
?We believe that a sustainable future is achieved by providing people with the skills necessary to empower themselves and in the future begin to empower other communities. We also understand that such a sustainable future begins with the generosity of others. It is generosity that helps to restore the dignity that is so often lost in times of poverty.
?The role of Eightytwenty as one of upskilling ? endeavouring to enable the community to sustain themselves in the long term. Eightytwenty Vision, for me, is about opening our eyes to see how other people are living, realising that the majority of the world face a very bleak reality, and then look for ways to partner with them to bring change.?
Using his profile as an elite athlete has allowed Dave the platform to broadcast his beliefs and promote his cause, but those efforts have sometimes provoked detractors.
?I have had people suggest that we need to take care of our own backyard first and I would agree that there are a lot of problems in Australia which need attention, particularly in terms of the treatment of Indigenous people and migrants.
?In Australia there are systems in place that are meant to provide protection and assistance to people who need it. In Zimbabwe these same systems do not exist. The government and military which are meant to protect people have frequently been used to harm them. And the basic needs of survival are often unmet. This is why I?m willing to not only work hard for the people of Zimbabwe but also lend my profile to their cause.?
Dave?s sense of philanthropy goes deeper than charity. ?I feel it?s my responsibility to use my privilege to help those who do not happen to be born into the same kind of family, class, race as I was. It would be easy just to say that rich and poor countries exist and that?s the way it is and that all we can do is try to alleviate some of the suffering. But I firmly believe that we, in the developed ?West?, perpetuate a cycle that necessitates other countries experiencing such high levels of poverty. It is this very system we need to reconsider.
?I?ve read so many studies about how ?unhappy? the developed world is ? which is in stark contrast to my recent visits with the community in Nkayi ? who seem to be bursting with joy despite their obvious poverty. While I am always cautious about suggesting people get involved in aid and development work for their own sense of satisfaction I would readily suggest that a great motivator would be honouring your internal sense of injustice about the world by using some of your wealth to help others in need ? this isn?t to make yourself feel better but rather to hold fast to your own integrity.
?In Australia we are perfectly placed to make a tangible difference through our contribution.? iyl
www.eightytwentyvision.org
Source: http://www.imagineyourlifestyle.com.au/field-of-vision-david-pocock/
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