Monday, December 15, 2008

Manly-Manado took part in the Balgowlah North Public School Christmas market to raise awareness of the Compassion Child Survival Program and to talk to the students and parents about what life is like for some children in Manado.  Children at the market were taught how to make a ball from scrap materials just like the children on the Sumompo Rubbish Dump would in Manado.  "It was a great way to demonstrate what life in parts of Manado is like for children," said Karen Lee, organiser of the Manly-Manado stand and parent at the school.  "We were able to tell the children how some children in Manado don't have access to toys and sporting equipment and they play with whatever they can make for themselves from the materials they find around them."

Children also learned about how the children of Sumompo collect rubbish for a living and earn approximately $1 for 4kg of rubbish.  "It was a real eye opener for the kids and a great opportunity to be able to talk to them about what life for some children in Manado is like.  Christmas is a time to be thinking of those less fortunate than ourselves and what we can give to the poor.  We were able to talk to parents and students about ways in which the Manly-Manado community partnership can help empower and assist our neighbours in Manado who are trapped in poverty." 

 

Friday, December 12, 2008

 
This year's end of year concert by the children of the Mosman Music Academy was a concert with a difference.  Their teacher, Susie Wang, first heard about the work of Compassion and Manly-Manado from some of her students from Seaforth who are involved in Manly-Manado.  Susie has such a heart for children and was so impressed with the work of Compassion that last year she decided to sponsor a child of her own.

And this month she decided to hold a Music of Love and Abundance Concert not only to showcase the work of her students but also to support the work of the Compassion Child Survival Program in Manado.

"We are blessed with so much," said Susie.  "It breaks my heart when I read the statistic that every day 26,000 children die before the age of five from preventable causes.   Christmas is a time of giving and I'm really pleased that all of the families involved in the concert were able to support the Child Survival Program."

It was a wonderful night of love and abundance - and well done to the Mosman Music Academy for raising $2,020 !!

 

Thursday, November 20, 2008

On Sunday 21st September, Lisa Eustace from Manly competed in the Blackmores half marathon event held in the Sydney CBD.  It was a warm day, but that did not stop Lisa from completing the course.

Before the event, Lisa raised about $600 in sponsorship and has donated these sponsorship funds to Manly-Manado’s partner Bridge of Hope in Manado , to assist in helping families out of poverty in Manado via micro loans.

Thanks Lisa and Well Run!

 

Friday, October 31, 2008

Schoolgirls Stephanie and Carly didn't just sit around watching TV this school holiday.  Instead, they were thinking of others in Manado and how they could raise money for Manly-Manado.  So, on a sunny day in October they decided to cook Rocky Road and caramel treats and set off around their neighbourhood in Balgowlah to sell their goods.  They had heaps of fun too as they dressed up in funny hats and stripy socks.

"We hope the money we raised for Manly-Manado will help people in need," said the girls. "We would also like to thank Manly-Manado for the work you are doing for the people in Manado".

A huge THANKYOU right back to Carly and Stephanie for taking action against poverty.  The girls successfully raised $50 which will be sent to Bridge of Hope our micro enterprise development partner in Manado.  Good on you girls!

 

Thursday, October 30, 2008

On 15 October, over 12,000 bloggers banded together to discuss a single issue - poverty.  Australian bloggers, Instantiate, joined in and issued a podcast looking at how technology and the web are helping people to help others.  As well as looking at international organisations such as Kiva.org, One Laptop Per Child and Google.org, they also talked about Manly-Manado.

It was so encouraging to hear Instantiate praise the movement's purpose - to create awareness of, and take action against, the mutual poverty that exists within both Manly and Manado, through a relational connection.



They also talk about how Manly-Manado is a relational movement and is transforming lives in both Manly and Manado. It's encouraging to hear such strong third party endorsement and to know that the Manly-Manado message is getting out to a broader audience!

 

Saturday, October 18, 2008

On Saturday 13 September, 180 people took part in the Manly-Manado Walk, the renowned Spit-to-Manly foreshore fundraiser walk. Together, walkers are hoping to raise $15,000, offering 42 families a chance out of poverty by receiving a micro business loan in Manado!

The sun was shining as people of all ages came together. The youngest baby “walkers” were carried in backpacks and the oldest walker, Vera, aged 92, managed part of the walk too!

And a little bit of Manado came to Manly that day. Whilst in Manly we turn on a tap for our daily water, in Manado some people walk 600 m carrying a 19 litre container! Walkers found out just what it was like to collect and carry their daily water with some walkers carrying 10 litres from Fairlight Beach to the end of the walk. Some even carried 20 litres!!

A fantastic community day out – with plenty of fun had by all.

Thank you to all the local businesses and organisations who supported the event. Thank you also to Seaforth Baptist Church for organising the event and thank you to everyone who took part!

 

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Fran Inkster of Manly Library hosted the Manly-Manado Poetry Competition awards as part of the Manly Arts Festival on 13th September. The theme of the competition was "community" to reflect the Manly-Manado community partnership and emphasise the purpose of the competition - to celebrate community.

Close to 100 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.  "It was wonderful to receive so many entrants," said Fran. "And the Manly-Manado partnership has definitely enhanced our sense of community in Manly - uniting people of all ages. It's wonderful to see the people of Manly continue to unite around a common purpose for the people of Manado."


The winner of the Primary School Division was Courtney Sloan from Manly West Primary School with her poem:

Fireworks

Hoisted up on shoulders so I could see
We’re out late just, our community
A sparkling light goes through the summer night
Trailing their trail of glittering light
And colourful fountains pour out showers
Of shimmering sparks like warm coloured flowers
As I block my ears I see the harbour I just had to gaze
An ocean on fire and a sky ablaze


Participation Certificates are also awarded to 17 students from Manly West Primary School - what a great contribution!  The winner of the High School Division was Lauren Perry from Mosman High with her poem:

Garden

I lay down in a field of meadow grass
To ponder, wonder, contemplate our way
And stop.  To witness quiet life just pass-
So different from the bustling world today.

Feeling for the heartbeat of the field,
To savour sight and sing with every sound;
To understand what our life, too, could yield
If flowers unravalled from soft and fertile ground.

Our world, where trees grow solitarily
Does not produce a forest strong and dense.
With no support or binding unity
Each plant is grown behind an iron fence.

I hear the call of joy and look above
As birds of every colour, hue and shade
Soar circles, rings around a single dove:
Halo a harmony above the glade.

If only division in our world would ease
And sky burn bright. Embrace our world as whole !
Community, togetherness and peace
Grow flowers in the garden of our soul.


The winner of the Open Division was Margaret Grace from Bilgola with her poem:

Our Manly

Pounding the iPod path - joggers
slow, to stretch...sniff the salt spray
and watch green class waves
carry surfers towards the shore.

Surging up the Corso a tide
of tourists lap at shopfront doors
and in the ebb of noon clamour
for ferries...back to the city.
Toy boats in the cove seas-saw their
moorings, pinned on a silky blue sea

Now the evening pines
lengthen their shadows - people,
penguins and tales of whales
stitched to the fabric of Manly.
Folded away in the depth of night
to be shaken out next day.

Know that you share the same
sun, sea, sky and stars as Manado
in Sulawesi, the same hopes,
pain, and the same love.
 
Congratulations to everyone involved - a wonderful community event, celebrating community !

 

Monday, September 22, 2008

What better way to spend a wet and windy Saturday afternoon than having a scrumptious Manadonese lunch with a wonderful group of Manadonese people who now live in Sydney.  This group of people from Manado call themselves "Mapalus Kawanua" (Gathering of people coming from the same place) and have been meeting together in Sydney for the last 20 years.  They recently heard about Manly-Manado and were shocked to hear of a community on the northern beaches partnering with Manado, their home town.  They invited us to lunch to find out more.  It was a very special afternoon, meeting new friends, enjoying good food and sharing the vision of Manly-Manado.  This promises to be the start of many new friendships and next time.....lunch is on us in Manly!      

 

Friday, September 12, 2008

Balgowlah Uniting Church was recently transformed into a "gig space" as it opened its doors on a Friday night to over 150 people for the Manly community who gathered for a chilled out night of good music, good food and good company.  "Everyone sat around on the floor or stood up the back, it was very cool to see the church transformed into a gig space, with candles and lighting setting a very chilled out mood," said event organiser, Hanna Miflin.
 
Funds raised on the night were for the provision of micro-loans for families in Manado through Manly-Manado's partner in Manado, Bridge of Hope. "It was so encouraging to realise that a relatively simple night like this - of good music and good food - can literally transform lives," said Hanna.  We also got the opportunity to learn more about how Manly-Manado is not only transforming lives in Manado but also here in Manly.  It was a really cool night and a big thanks to all who was part of it."
 
And a special thanks to all the people who brought their homemade baked goods which sold like "hot cakes", as well as the amazing coffee from the guys at Barefoot Coffee in Manly, who provided a free barista.

 

Monday, August 18, 2008

One of the guiding beliefs of Manly-Manado is that poverty can be overcome through education, reflection and action.  The call to social action extends especially to our school children.  A seed, which can bear immeasurable fruit, can be planted in a child’s mind, through a powerful connection and real example of poverty, such as Manado.  This seed can grow into a lifetime of understanding and sympathy of global inequalities and the realisation that responsibility needs to be taken for our fellow citizens and neighbours.

In line with this, Manly-Manado has just launched two Primary School Action Kits, produced by local teachers in the Manly community, which can be implemented by our local primary schools for  Stage 1 and Stage 3.

They are designed to give students in the Manly community an insight into how community-based volunteer organisations can work to empower and meet the physical needs of those trapped in poverty.  The kits are currently being presented to several schools in our community and are great tools for children to find practical ways that they can help our friends in Manado  Click here to find out more about the Primary School Action Kits.