Long before David Shearer went into politics and became Opposition leader, he and his wife Anuschka Meyer worked for international aid agencies helping the poorest of the poor.
In 1992 they were chosen as Herald New Zealanders of the Year for the brave work they did for the Save the Children Fund in war-torn Somalia.
They worked tirelessly to help feed starving children in refugee camps - there could be as many as 25,000 at any one time.
It was no exaggeration to say that they were putting their lives on the line to save others.
"Throughout the year they spent in Somalia's capital Mogadishu they were unwittingly caught up in the fighting raging between the two rival warlords," wrote Herald feature writer Jane Phare.
