As part of their geography curriculum, a class of Year 8 students from St Pauls College in Manly have just finished studying the Stage Four Geography Case Study from Manly-Manado's Community partnership this term.  Having learned about ways in which communities and organisations can help empower and assist other communities who are trapped in poverty, the boys were inspired to take action of their own and raise funds for the people in Manado.  As well as donating $70 of their own money the boys also ran a cake stall at their school and raised an impressive $186 !   Well done boys!

What a talented group of children there are in the Manly area and they really showed their stuff the evening of Monday, 10 December, at the Manly Village Public School Dance Concert.  There were hundreds of observers watching the various performances of the different age groups.  Renditions of the walking zombies in a Michael Jackson video, the groovy teenagers from Grease, as well as other fabulously costumed performers could be seen grooving out in the schoolyard.  Thanks so much to Principal Leonie Black for putting the entrance donations toward helping another family in Manado out of poverty and congratulations to the amazing team that organised such a fabulous display of talent!

Pouring rain may have been trying to put a dampener on the Corso in Manly, on Saturday 1st December, but the weather could not extinguish the enthusiasm of the kids from St Matts Church, Manly, Seaforth Baptist Church and All Saints, Balgowlah who came together to run the BIG EVENT. The kids raised money and awareness for Manado through busking, cakes stalls, face painting, circus acts, book sales and of course building their own 'Manado House'. The energy and passion shown by these young dynamos raised $680 dollars to help the Compassion projects we are partnered with through sponsoring kids in Manado. The funds will be used for buying things like books, desks, food and bibles.
 
Well done kids - you're fantastic !

This week 30 girls from the Yr 8 Geography class at Mackellar Girls Campus have been learning about global poverty and inequality through using Manly-Manado’s Geography Case Study. Inspired by the possibility to get involved, the girls asked to speak to the whole school assembly, some 1000 girls, about what they had learned. They shared how they had been touched by the story of Anneke, who lives on the rubbish tip in Manado and how they had been inspired and motivated to take action and help people out of poverty.

Later in the day the girls ran a cake stall with cakes, biscuits and crackles they had made the previous night and raised $230! Isn’t that amazing. Well done girls – you inspire us all!

The Third Annual Tropical Soiree took place on Friday 23rd November.  Over 90 people gathered at the Clontarf home of Chris and Maggie Jenvey to enjoy “Cocktails, Canapes and Cool Live Music”.  In total 26 performers entertained everyone brilliantly: Irish harpist Cliona Molins; Venezualan cuatro player Ivan Vivas; jazz ‘n blues trio Lana Nesnas, Nick Southcott and Peter Godbolt; young (14!) singer/songwriter Tom Jordan and The Elementals, an acapella gospel choir led by Ian Laurence.  A convivial evening was had by all with funds raised, through ticket sales, a raffle and silent auction, providing five families with micro loans in Manado. Thanks go to Margi Coen and Colin Timms who organised the music side of things, and numerous All Saints’ parishioners who worked to ensure the event ran smoothly.  Special mention to four members of the Youth Group who did sterling duty as waitpersons!

Community Partnership was happening on many levels at our recent trivia night.  Around 300 people grouped around tables of ten last Friday at Balgowlah RSL for the 'Great Big Manly Trivia Gig' as part of this year's Manly-Manado events.

The event has successfully enabled Bridge of Hope, our micro enterprise development partner in Manado, to provide new loans to an additional 30 needy families. It’s exciting to think that this is equivalent to each trivia table contributing to providing one family with the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty! We were also able to raise additional funds towards the beginning of a new development project on a rubbish tip on the outskirts of Manado. This is in an area where children are born into families that live on the tip. Rather than going to school, children become part of the whole economy that survives off the tip. Bridge of Hope is starting a new project among these people involving a basic needs, health and education program, as well as providing micro loans.

The event's success can also be attributed to the enthusiasm of the ‘table terriers’ who ran around and enthused 10, 20 or in some cases 30 people to come.  As well as being informed and inspired about what is happening in Manado, it was great to see community partnership happening around the tables as well. The room was just a buzz.

There was a successful silent auction, supported by many local businesses, a live auction conducted by Andrew Lutze of Cunninghams Real Estate. Krinklewood Wines donated the winning table prize and covers band, Rock Addiction, donated their time and talent to get things moving on the dance floor.

To provide 30 families with the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty is a real blessing.  And it was also wonderful to see how people were inspired by the night to see how they can personally be part of taking action against poverty.

Since re-launching on 13 September, the Manly-Manado community partnership has had a great few months with the Manly community coming together to help our brothers and sisters in Manado.

The great news is that we have now provided over 1,000 families (1,012 in fact!) with the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty via our micro-enterprise development partner in Manado, Bridge of Hope.  And 171 children have been sponsored via our child sponsorship partner, Compassion.  In Manly 95 events have been initiated, involving a massive 14,498 people.  What an awesome achievement !

It is amazing to think that we have helped over 1,000 families - what a wonderful milestone !  We would like to thank all of the residents, council, businesses, churches and schools who have been involved in Manly-Manado since we started in 2005.  It is inspiring to see our community in Manly continue to unite to take action against poverty.

Thank you !

On October 17, Make Poverty History is inviting you to join millions of people from around the world to Stand Up and Speak Out against poverty and inequality.  Click here to find out how you can be involved.