Tuesday, October 16, 2007

On Saturday 13 October three hundred people took part in the Manly-Manado Walk, the renowned Spit-to-Manly foreshore fundraiser walk.  Together, walkers raised nearly $23,000, offering 66 families a chance out of poverty by receiving a micro business loan!
The Walk was a real community celebration with people coming together to help the people of Manado in a very practical way.  This is the third year the Walk has taken place and funds raised to date are now in excess of $63,000 – that’s providing a massive 180 families with the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty – isn’t that astonishing! It was such a fun event with people of all ages coming together.   The youngest baby “walkers” were carried in backpacks and the oldest walker, a Seaforth resident aged 77, set a cracking pace too. The children from Seaforth Baptist Church and St Matthews Church on the Corso also united to walk together as a group.  At the finish children wrote personal cards and messages for the children in the orphanage in Manado that Manly-Manado has funded.  It was a great example for the community to be setting our children – showing them that we can reach out and make a difference to people in need. At the end of the walk there were all sorts of arts and crafts on offer for the kids and some local goods were on sale from Manado too.  Manly Oceanworld also brought out ‘Olivia the Olive Python’ and ‘Earl the Spencers Monitor’ to be introduced to the walkers.   A fantastic community day out  – with plenty of fun had by all. Thank you to all the local businesses who were involved in sponsoring the event.  Thank you also to Seaforth Baptist Church for organising the event and thankyou to everyone who took part!

 

Saturday, October 06, 2007

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.

 

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Fran Inkster of Manly Library hosted the Manly-Manado Poetry Competition awards night on 20th September.

Over 60 poets had entered their poems during the previous month and a small group of judges had made their choices of winners and highly commended in each category.


The Winner in the Primary School Division was Isobel Williams from Seaforth Public with her poem:

Empty
Nothing,
it echoes through the darkness,
every sound amplified a thousand times by the silence.
My stomach aches with hunger,
even the rock hard dirt smells delicious.
I know that soon I will have to move,
whether to brush away the millions of flies,
or to stop myself from drifting into fitful slkeep, I know not.
The silence is louder than anything I have ever heard.
Then there is a light,
a voice and
with it comes
hope,
the feeling of warm light on my skin
and a rough, yet comforting, blanket,
a small bowl of rice in one hand
and a cool cup in the other.
Soft voices,
I feel it,
relief.

The Winner in the High School Division was Sigourney Irvine from Manly High with her poem:

Together
Beneath, wingless tongues furl and fight for ebbing water
Above, poor folk take their life and place it down for barter
The leaves tingle in the air like tears sliding down my face
As wind and sun unite to form the desolation of this place

A seedling struggles from the ground to gasp each blazing ray
Until it must return to the dark and forever stay
The gloom outside will never find its way into my heart,
when we are together, I can never fall apart:

Together we will fight, and be soldiers doing battle
against the raucous sound of the sad last penny's rattle
Holding hands we shall never feel the grip of cowardice
Or lace fear through the cracks of this mind which can't be pierced

Yet when we wipe our faces, with the rags of time
Will we be behind them and will you still be mine,
Will you still be fighting, with me in the war
Or will you leave me waiting, at last becoming poor?

The Winner in the Open Division was John MacRitchie from Padstow with his poem:

Partnerships
There's nothing like a partner, a buddy or a mate
To scratch your back, and watch you back, a partner's bloody great.
A partner takes the bins out, or tucks you up in bed -
Where would you be without them? Washed up and left for dead.

A partner adds the savour the makes life so good,
Like eggs and bacon, fish and chips, or beef with Yorkshire pud.
McCartney and John Lennon, not just for Yesterday,
And Bob Hope took Bing Crosby on the road to Mandalay.

When Rolls met Royce, and Posh met Becks, and cola met Bacardi
A famous partnership was born, like Laurel meeting Hardy.
Take Butch and Sundance, Buzz and Woody, Bogart and Bacall,
Holmes and Watson, Marks and Spencer, partners one and all.

They all meant more together than when they were apart
And that is why I love you, the partner of my heart.


Well done to everyone involved - a magnificent community event bringing the opportunity for creative thought and awareness of the benefits of partnership together. You are an inspiration to us all.

 

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Two years since its official launch as Action Against Poverty, the community partnership between the people of Manly and Manado in Indonesia has announced the next phase of its development, renaming the movement as Manly-Manado, a community partnership taking action against poverty.

The relaunch took place tonight in the Manly Council Chambers, hosted by the Mayor of Manly, Dr. Peter Macdonald and attended by 130 invited guests.

“The name has been changed to Manly-Manado to reflect the relational nature of the movement between the people of Manly and the people of Manado,” said Jim Goddard, founder of Action Against Poverty.  “The vision of Manly-Manado is to see the mutual social transformation of both the Manly and Manado communities.  And the new name clearly demonstrates partnership, with both communities benefiting from the relationship.”

Manly-Manado is also the spearheading community partnership of a new social non-profit company, set up by Jim Goddard, called Global Community Partnerships Ltd. Global Community Partnerships aims to replicate the concept of ‘developed community to developing community partnerships’ throughout Australia. “Other communities are being inspired by what Manly has been doing through Manly-Manado and our aim is to help them set up their own community partnership,” said Mr Goddard.

The movement in Manly was established in September 2005, under the name of Action Against Poverty, by a group of local residents to provide opportunity, dignity, hope and freedom to those trapped in poverty in Manado.

Since then, nearly 900 families in Manado have been empowered to help themselves out of poverty through the movement’s micro enterprise development partner in Manado, Bridge of Hope.  In addition, over 160 children have been sponsored via Manly-Manado’s child sponsorship partner, Compassion, in Manado.  An orphanage has been established for 100 children and a boat has been provided.  To support these developments the wider Manly community has united, running over 80 events which has involved over 13,000 people.


“The purpose of Manly-Manado is to act as a catalyst of change, empowering people’s desire to take action against poverty in all of its forms, while cultivating community.  It is wonderful to see how people in Manly have been inspired to take local action to the global poverty problem and have made a tangible difference to the lives of others,” added Mr Goddard.


Ben Waani, Chairman of Bridge of Hope in Manado, is visiting Manly for the launch of Manly-Manado, and said:  “We feel blessed that the local community of Manly in Australia is demonstrating such a heart of compassion through their partnership with the people of Manado.  These families have now been empowered to help themselves step above the poverty line and reclaim their dignity. We appreciate your on-going support and the partnership our two communities are building together.”

Manly-Manado aims to address poverty in all of its forms: physical, economic, social, emotional and spiritual.  According to Manly-Manado, physical and economic poverty are most obvious in developing communities such as Manado, when compared to developed communities such as Manly. However, many people in developing communities such as Manado, are often richer in spiritual, social and emotional well-being than developed communities such as Manly.


Rita Smith and her family, husband Jim, son Aaron (9) and daughter Liana (7) have been involved with the movement since it started in 2005.  Commenting on this partnership with Manado, Rita said: “Since our family has become involved with Action Against Poverty we have had the most amazing experiences and opportunities that have taught us so much - not only about poverty and the Manado community but also about ourselves and the way we live. The Manly-Manado movement has enriched our lives in so many ways. We have met many new friends here in Manly and in Manado. We have been blessed with so many opportunities at home, at school and at church, to teach the kids in a real way about how to reach out to others in a community; how to make a difference and how to put their faith in action. Their world has opened up so much.  Everything we have done as a family has helped us to examine our own values and attitudes.  It has been a rewarding and often challenging journey for us as parents and also for our children. That is why we are very excited to continue this year and look forward to encouraging other families to get involved in the Manly-Manado.”      
 
There are many ways for people in Manly to get involved and take action against poverty.  Whether you are a resident, belong to a school, church or local business, find out how you can make a tangible difference to the lives of other people by visiting www.manly-manado.org.au

“The strength of the Manly-Manado project is that it links community to community. I have always been proud of the compassion shown by the people of Manly and this project offers a real opportunity for us all to help people in need in a very practical way,” said Peter Macdonald, Mayor of Manly.

Concluding, Jim Goddard said: “We cannot offer everyone in need a hand-up out of poverty, but we can offer it to one person, one family and even one community.  We are encouraging the community in Manly to continue to unite and initiate and stage a number of events and activities throughout the Manly area.  These will be used to generate awareness and educate the community on the issue of poverty as well as raise sponsors and funds for families in Manado to help themselves out of poverty.”

For further information contact:
Vikki Howorth (Tel: 0417 664 728)

 

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Tonight the Our Manly Digital Photographic Competition concluded with the opening night of the Exhibition at Henry Afrikas on North Steyne.

Some 130 people attended the fantastic evening where the top 20 large framed photos from some 270 entrants were exhibited. The winning three photographs were announced, prizes handed out by sponsors Our Manly, C41Digital and Australia in Focus while John Cunningham rallied the auction bidding. A fantastic night was had by all - the funds raised are to be confirmed after the silent auction closes in two weeks.

The other 17 framed prints are available for silent auction bidding until the end of the Manly Arts Festival at Henry Afrikas.

 

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Next week Action Against Poverty will be holding an official community launch of the latest developments in the Manly-Manado Community Partnership. It will be held in the Manly Council Chambers on Thursday 13th September and hosted by the mayor of Manly, Dr. Peter Macdonald.

 

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

This year's Poetry Competition run by Fran Inkster from the Manly Library on the theme of 'Partnership' has attracted over 60 entrants in the three different categories: Primary, Secondary and Open.

Surprisingly there was a fairly even balance of entrants between the categories with 23 entrants in the Open category, 19 in Secondary and 18 in Primary.

The prize giving event will be on Thursday 20th September in the Manly Library at 6pm.

Good luck to everyone.

 

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Yesterday a team of 8 arrived back from a week in Manado. The team spent time with both of Action Against Poverty's partners - Bridge of Hope and Compassion.

We visited the sponsored children of over fifty people in Manly and met many families and groups that have received micro loans in the last year.

It was an inspiring visit to see the people who are actually receiving the opportunities that we started out for and to see the tangible difference in their lives.

 

Monday, February 26, 2007

A local builder has decided that he will donate 10% of his earnings to Bridge of Hope, helping families in Manado to be released from poverty through receiving micro loans.

It is the heart of individuals like this that challenge, encourage and inspire us all to make a difference in the lives of others.

Please remember that anyone who donates to Bridge of Hope has the opportunity to witness their work in action in Manado. Our next trip will be in May 2007. Please send an email to info@actionagainstpoverty.org.au if you are interested in joining a team from Manly.

 

Monday, January 22, 2007

A strong earthquake shook buildings in Manado on Sunday evening, sending residents fleeing from their homes, witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the magnitude 7.3 quake but local television said some buildings were cracked. Efendi Poernomo of Bridge of Hope, one of Action Against Poverty's partners said this morning "it was a tremendously scary earthquake we experienced last night, followed by tremors and four aftershocks. But there is only minor damage in Manado, Praise God." "People panicked and ran out of their homes. They are still outside their homes," a Reuters witness said about 30 minutes after the quake struck in the Molucca Sea, 165 km east of Manado near the northern tip of Sulawesi. The tremors lasted about a minute, he said. The US Geological Survey website put the quake's magnitude at 7.3 while Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency gave its strength as 6.5 on the Richter scale and initially said it could pose a tsunami risk. But agency official Nurpuji told Reuters later: "There is no report of significant damage so far." Poor communications in Indonesia often means that information on a disaster's impact is considerably delayed. The USGS said the quake had occurred at 7.27 pm (10.27 pm AEDT).