Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Monday 8 March 2010 is the United Nation’s International Women’s Day.  ”The fight for women’s rights is central to the UN’s global mission.” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Click here to check out the video on the UN website.

During our visit to Manado, Indonesia we witnessed the efforts of many women as they worked long tiring days to find extra money to help support their families. They ran kiosks, cooked and sold satay in the market, chopped fruit salad to sell on the street corner and collected rubbish at the local tip. Women were often the entrepreneurs of the family, not just making ends meet, but finding ingenious ways of saving money in the event of a child requiring a visit to the doctor or some other unplanned expenditure.

For some women the story is not always as positive. There are numerous stories we’ve been told of forced labor, rape, abuse, inequality and sexual violence in war.

We stand by and support the UN in it’s efforts to insure the safety and equality of women all around the world.

The Manly Council have given us the opportunity to promote and sell Love in Action at their event to promote International Women’s Day which will be held at the Manly Library on Monday 8 March 2010. All proceeds from the sale of Love in Action will be donated to Manly-Manado. Money raised will be given to the Compassion Child Survival Program. The program assists pregnant women, at-risk babies and infants and their mothers and caregivers by providing critical interventions, such as medical assistance, pre-natal and post-natal care, and nutritious food. For further information visit the Compassion website.

Read more…

 

Monday, March 01, 2010

For the fourth consecutive year, Hannah Phillips (14 yrs old) and her family from Balgowlah Heights put on a wonderful display of Christmas Lights at their home.  Hannah was supported by her family and talked to passersby about the community partnership between Manly and Manado. During this time, Hannah collected over $1,000 which will be used to support families through the micro loan program with Bridge of Hope.

Some people commented that they came back to see Hannah this year as they had fond memories of from last year.

A big thank you to Hannah and her family for the wonderful Christmas Lights display.  We are all looking forward to the Christmas Lights in 2010!

 

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Once again this year the Mosman Music Academy held their Annual Music of Love and Abundance Concert on December 12th, 2009 at The Star of the Sea Theatre in Manly.  There were over 150 people in attendance and over 40 acts showcasing various talents from singing to dancing. The Compassion partner of Manly Manado was invited once again this year to speak on the Child Survival Program. Manly Manado would like to thank Susie Wang, Music Director and all the participants for their generous financial contributions. 

All funds raised on the day will go directly to support the Child Survival Program.

 

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Year 9 commerce class (40 students) from Oxford Falls Grammar School recently held a 'stalls day' to teach them about running a business. The purpose was to gain as much profit as possible. The students raised a massive $500 and have decided to donate the money to the Bridge of Hope Sumompo Rubbish Dump Project.  The overall aim of this project is to improve the standard of living for families living on Manado's Rubbish dump, many of whom, including children, earn their living by scavenging for recycable items, 8-10 hours a day, six days a week.
Well done to all the students involve who as their teachers, Emma Conroy & Zoe Pearcy, said the students truly believe in the idea of "think globally - act locally".

 

Monday, November 02, 2009

And the psalmist said:

What better way to achieve that than with the exuberant voices of Café of the Gate of Salvation raised in beautiful St. Matthews Church in the heart of multi-cultural Manly on Saturday 17 October. This award-winning, a capella gospel choir of Sydney musicians joined with Manly-Manado to support the work of Compassion and Bridge of Hope. Playing before a packed house of over 300 people, the event successfully raised awareness, funds about $5,000 and the roof!!

There were cheers, tears and goose-bumps as ‘Café’ sang and people clapped along, proving an irresistible lure to the youngest children who just wanted to get on stage and sing along.

Local singer/songwriter Ed Worland with Jake Farriss, set a perfect opening with a bracket of 3 original songs. The Rev. Graham Perry, as MC, welcomed Manly Mayor Jean Hay who spoke of the wonderful community inter-action to help those in need. In between 2 sets by Café, a hushed and attentive audience listened as Vikki Howorth spoke of Compassion’s Child Survival Program and Will Wrathall gave a moving description of the work of Bridge of Hope on the Sumompo Rubbish Dump.

With the sanctuary hung with Sandy Chockman’s ‘story-boards, the tables of hand-crafted Manadonese jewellery, Stu Harris’s exquisite photo-book ‘Love in Action’ on display and the faces of Indonesian children throughout the hall, another ripple of knowledge and awareness was added to those already spreading through our community from such events.  It was a joyous and moving afternoon in Manly – a big thank you to all who worked to make this such a success. Well done!

 

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What a blessing it was to host Sarah Rahardja from the Compassion office in Manado on Sunday 11 October. It is normally Sarah who hosts and welcomes Insight Trip visitors from Manly to Manado, but this time it was our honour and privilege to host her in our home town of Manly.

Sarah spoke at two services at Seaforth Baptist Church with members from Balgowlah Uniting, St Pauls, St Matts, St Pauls and Ruach churches also attending.  Sarah talked about some of the issues the families of Manado face as well as the Compassion Child Sponsorship Program in Manado (there are now 20 projects in Manado and Manly-Manado has sponsored 215 children from these projects!).  Many of the people attending the services were Compassion sponsors who learnt more about the daily activities of the Compassion children at the projects.  It was inspiring to hear about the transformation of the lives of children who have been sponsored, especially little Rivaldy and the hope he now provides to his family.

Sarah also provided an update on the Child Survival Program that Manly-Manado supports and how the program has impacted the lives of mothers and babies in Manado, including Revalina and baby Iwene who now receive regular health support, nutritious food and medicines and vitamins as well as spiritual growth in their lives.

Thank you Sarah for your visit - we look forward to the next time!  May God continue to bless you and the Compassion team in Manado as you continue to bless the poor of Manado.

 

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Something fishy was stirring in St Matts on Saturday night, 10th October. The Cinema4Life team again offered their community-building evening as a fundraiser for Manly-Manado and this time the film was truely eye-opening for all who watched!

Sharkwater is filmaker Rob Stewart's underwater adventure to explore the infamous fish - the shark. Driven by a lifelong fascination with sharks, Steward uses this film to show sharks in a light very different to the usual, negative 'man-eater' wrap they normally recieve. Filmed in stunning locations, with breathtaking cinemtography, this film proclaims a valuble lesson that applies not just to sharks, but to everything - that the first impression isnt always true.

It was great to see the Manly community come together again and share a night of choc-tops, lollies, hot chocolate, good converstion and sharks - all in all raising over $200 for Manly-Manado's development partner in Manado, Bridge of Hope!

Great effort everyone!

 

Thursday, October 01, 2009

In the chic and intimate surrounds of Henry Afrikas on the beachfront at Manly, on Sunday 27 September people gathered to view and bid for the top ten photos in the Our Manly Light and Water Photography competition with money raised going to Bridge Of Hope's Sumompo Rubbish Dump project in Manado.  On the night people were transported into world after world. The ten finalist photographs captured the natural beauty of Manly in both a very familiar yet very different, unique way.

Local resident Will Wrathall shared his experience of working with the people of the Sumompo Rubbish Dump community in Manado.  His powerful words took everyone on a journey imagining they were in Manado scooting in and out of the busy traffic on the back of a motor bike, past lush green palm trees and the huge mounds of rubbish, the dump, that is Sumompo. Local musician, Zoe Elliot,  with her beautiful song 'A Life Well Spent', caused everyone to reflect on the importance of the bond being built between the people of Manly and the people of Manado and the lessons we can both learn from this partnership. Then Andrew from Cunninghams Property did a great job at auctioning all ten photographs with just over $5,500 being raised for the Sumompo Rubbish Dump Project in Manado. 

Thanks to Our Manly for organising the event, to Henry Afrikas for hosting and Cunninghams Property for cracking the auctioneers whip so well!  Thanks also to all the supporting businesses who helped to make the evening such a success!

 

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

On Saturday 26 September, over 300 walkers braved the dust and wind and took part in the 10km Manly-Manado Walk, raising $26,000 for Compassion's Child Survival Programme in Manado, Indonesia.  This will go such a long way in making a difference to the lives of the mothers and babies from the Pengharapan Child Survival Program in Manado.

It is great to see the Manly community taking action that supports our Government's commitment to the UN Millennium Goal 4 (Improving Child Health) and Goal 5 (Improving Maternal Health).

It was a wonderful community day with young and old alike uniting to take action against poverty.  Thank you to all the local businesses and organisations who supported the event. Well done Seaforth Baptist Church for organising the event, and thank you to everyone who took part!

 

Monday, September 28, 2009

On the eve of 24 September, women from the Manly community flooded St Matts Church on the Corso to swap books and in turn help families in Manado lift themselves out of poverty. Helen Allchurch and her team did a great job coordinating the event, attracting a 130-strong crowd of book lovers. 

Award-winning author, Melina Marchetta (Saving Francesca, Looking for Alibrandi, Jellicoe Road and her newest one, Finnikin of the Rock) spoke at the event and local photographer Stu Harris spoke about his time in Manado and his Love in Action book, reminding everyone why they were gathered at the event. Everyone left the evening, tummies full, mouths sore from chatting, a new book in tow, and perhaps a little flicker of a dream inside about how they too could all be authors, just like Melina.

Well done to all involved - five families will now be given the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and set up their own business in Manado through Manly-Manado's micro enterprise development partner, Bridge of Hope.  "Most of the loan recipients happen to be women as they are passionate about educating and feeding their children," said Helen. "That's why the book swap was (mostly) women helping women to get their families out of poverty."