Three high schools in the Manly area are using the Stage Four Geography Case Study from Manly-Manado’s Community Partnership as part of their Geography curriculum this term.  The Case Study, which includes a series of lessons and activities, is being used by Year 8 students from St Pauls College, Mackellar Girls Campus and Northern Beaches Secondary College - Balgolwah Boys Campus.

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 youth – to students in our secondary school classrooms.  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.

Jane Goddard, geography teacher Mackellar Girls Campus, said “The case study helps students studying Geography explore the topic of global inequalities in a relevant and tangible way. It provides students with interactive activities, some of which are web-based, that help them engage with the global issue of poverty and gain an understanding about ways in which communities and organisations can help empower and assist other communities who are trapped in poverty.”

The case study inspired the girls at Mackellar 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!

Jen Foster, Geography teacher from Balgowlah Boys Campus said: “Poverty is the most urgent social issue our world faces.  By using the Manly-Manado campaign at Bally we can inspire and empower the boys to participate in and initiate community events in their local area, and to show the impact of this action on individual lives within the Manado community. It's very exciting to be a part of such a powerful social justice programme.”

Gabie Stojonovski, geography teacher from St Pauls College, said: “We’re excited about having the opportunity to apply the geography knowledge the students have been learning into a relevant current case study.”

The 29 page resource for teachers and students is designed to encourage and develop within students the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to take their place as informed and engaged global citizens.  Worksheets look at issues such as: What is Poverty ? Global Inequalities; Micro Finance and Micro Enterprise Development; Millenium Development Goals as well as facts about Manado and Indonesia.

Twenty-two kms north of Manado’s centre is a fishing village of around 100 families called Bahowo Tongkeina.  Unfortunately there is not enough fish to support the community, so incomes are low and irregular. In addition, the agricultural land nearby is unproductive, making it difficult to establish a successful business.  So, some of the men do carpentry work to help make a living, whilst other people grow bananas or vegetables and sell their produce in the local village and at the markets in Manado.

Within this community is a group of 14 women who belong to one of the Bridge of Hope’s micro enterprise loan groups.  They are called the Silo Group and are already on their second loan cycle of Rph 750,000.     They have used the loans to invest in different businesses, including a kiosk and selling bananas, fish and jewellery. They meet every week in a small hut near the sea to discuss their businesses, encourage each other and pray for each other.

The group leader, Rensi, explained proudly that the businesses generate small profits: “I use my income to support my daughter in her accounting and economics studies at college in Manado. Most children leave the village during the week to receive education at university or college in Manado and they come back to their families at the weekend,” she said.

Overall the loan group supports 15 children. Some children are still small and their mothers are glad that they are still in primary school as they are afraid they can not afford high school. Some of the children are needed to help in their parents’ businesses, whilst others are at home and have to forego going to school.

Magdalena, another group member, is married and has one five year old son. Before receiving a loan from Bridge of Hope, she was selling iced syrup and the fish her husband caught every night.

Since receiving the first loan, she started selling some additional products, such as the jewellery and other souvenirs that her sister Uto makes. She travels with her father’s cousin in a boat to the close-by Bunaken Island twice a week to sell these items and some food.    
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“The income from the business has allowed my family and I to move out of my parents’ house into a house of our own,” said Magdalena. With the help of the second loan, she managed to considerably increase the margins in her business. Next to further investments into the business, she used the profits to improve the house. “With the third loan I plan to expand the merchandise I am selling.  I am happy and hopeful of the future,” she added, recognising the amazing changes to her family’s income and their lifestyle since the start of the project.

Magda is another member of the Silo Group and is selling fish. She is married and has a four year old daughter. Her husband is a fisherman but also has to work as a carpenter when fish are scarce. Before the loan, she could only afford to pay for the fish she bought off the fishermen after she had sold them on. Since receiving the first loan, she stopped buying on credit. She can also afford to buy more fish from other places, such as in Manado itself, where more fish are available. With the second loan, she started to sell other items such as vegetables and other produce. “The income from my business has allowed me to support my family’s needs.  And I can now send my daughter to school when she turns five,” she said excitedly. “And I’m really happy that I’m still able to save after meeting all of my commitments.”

The loan group ladies’ husbands received government loans for their fishery businesses. The difference between these loans and the Bridge of Hope loans, however, is that the government loan is just paid out and then the recipients are left to their own devices. Bridge of Hope, on the other hand, accompanies the loan group through the different loan cycles by sending a project officer to the weekly meetings to support the group in establishing and expanding their businesses. The goal is holistic transformation, rather than simply providing financial aid. The different dimensions of transformation, such as economic, community and spiritual transformation, are addressed through the initial training and ongoing support the group receives.

The high repayment rates and the numerous success stories of increasingly independent, self-confident and hopeful people are a clear testimony to Bridge of Hope’s success in developing this transformation.

The ladies of this loan group have gained hope, having seen small steps of success since receiving their first loan and developing their businesses.   The Silo Group of women is considering expanding into the village and inviting new members to their loan group to share their success. They have understood that their responsible use of funds by investing, paying back and saving their loans, can now be used to help others and spread hope in their area.

By Will Wrathall
I first got involved with The Manly-Manado Community Partnership in 2005. At that time I was working as a Youth Pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church. When I heard about the vision all I could see were numerous positives. It provided the opportunity for me to connect the young people in my care with people from a different culture and context. Not only that, but it provided an opportunity to link them with other young people in the local Manly community, and to unite across denominations and schools, another form of primitive tribalism! Essentially, I was inspired because the movement offered something uniquely different to other charity initiatives which often focus on the distribution of money to meet needs. In contrast, building authentic global and local relationships was at its core. 

Through Manly-Manado I have been able to use my skills as a teacher and communicator in local schools and churches. Each week I would teach at Balgowlah Boys in lunch time for boys who wanted to do more than just live a normal life. I was constantly amazed that they would come each week - even without providing junk food as an incentive!  One of the highlights was seeing 14 Bally Boys respond in a practical way by participating in the M-M walk. Together they raised over $2000! At St Paul’s Catholic College I gave a few year group presentations and was very happy to meet staff and students respond in practical ways.

Through Manly-Manado I have developed many new friendships with people in the Manly community across church and school denominations. It has increased my desire for community and a community that is active in alleviating very real problems. I have become aware of the subtle forms of poverty that exists in Manly: an excessive busyness preventing genuine community and resulting in weariness, loneliness and isolation.

On a personal level I am now equally concerned in matters big and small of global responsibility. Some people may think I’m crazy, but in Australia I will never accept a plastic bag from a shop with the knowledge that I have hundreds at home, and that they pose an environmental impact in the long term and already cause many problems in our waters. Usually I bring a green bag, so it’s often a funny sight watching me juggle $40 worth of groceries in my hands! In this example, I believe that making a decision and sticking to it is what’s important. In big matters, fair trade is important to me. I am now content to live on less. I don’t need to eat out as much, or keep buying new clothes. I would rather give money to others in real need. Beyond myself, I have been excited by the way churches have united under this vision of community partnership and begun to work together, share resources and support one another.

The decision to go to Manado was quite simple really. I have become increasingly frustrated by the harsh inequalities there are in the world and want to do something more than simply write a cheque. I have a strong conviction that ridding inhumane inequalities present in society was something close to Jesus’ heart. He continually demonstrated this challenging the rich and powerful, and siding with the poor, uneducated and powerless. Complementing this growing conviction was the gift of a background in the Indonesian language, studying at High School and University, and the opportunity to join Ian Freestone on a trip in April 2004.

Upon meeting people face to face in their daily lives and seeing how profoundly different they were to mine, I was aware I had won the ‘lottery of latitude’. Consequently, I have become genuinely thankful for my life. Furthermore, I didn’t want to walk away from these very real people and live with my head in the sand in the insular peninsula. My response was not motivated by obligation, but was driven by the knowledge that with freedom there is responsibility.

Since being in Manado I have become increasingly challenged by the mobility and seemingly endless opportunities that I have, in stark contrast with the lack of mobility and opportunities for people here. Living side by side these people I am very thankful for the opportunities I have been given, and simply want to open the doors of opportunity to those who are not fortunate enough to be given them. I am constantly aware that money is not the solution, but that changing my heart is.

As I continue to live here I hope to be continually challenged and to strive towards bridging inequalities in education. I hope education in schools continues in Manly as I endeavour to write a curriculum and generate support from schools in Manado. Over time I hope that relationships will be established: school to school, church to church, council to council.

The potential for this model to be replicated is huge; imagine 50 community partnerships like this were started by 2015! This, I believe, would be a great step towards the Millenium Development Goals vision for the eradication of extreme poverty by 2015. Furthermore, community partnership builds a foundation of global education and understanding to prevent ignorance, prejudice and miscommunication to cause divisions and escalating problems from this. I believe that cross-cultural education and communication is a fundamental building block for a safe and secure global community.

I believe the Manly-Manado movement offers people in Manly a unique opportunity to be involved in something to tangibly connect with people from another culture and context in a long-term effort to eradicate both the obvious forms in Manado and the subtle forms in Manly. Together, our hearts can be transformed through cross-cultural relationship. Together with the community in Manado we can improve the quality of our lives and ensure a greater global future.

Slava Cehovskih has been living in Manly for six years and is an active member of Christian Surfers Australia.  Slava was involved in organising Christian Surfers' Paddle Against Poverty (from Collaroy to Manly) in January this year, which raised a massive $10,000 for the Sumpompo Rubbish Tip Project in Manado.
 
Join Slava in this video podcast where he shares the impact that the Manly-Manado community partnership has had on his life, the Manly community and those around him.

Sefina Masihor (42) lives in a rural outer suburb of Manado and belongs to a loan group from Bridge of Hope, consisting of 17 local women. She is married to husband David Takapaha (49) and has three sons: Novel (24), Marcelling (22) and Einstein (14).

Her husband David is a motorbike taxi driver whilst Novel works locally as a labourer and Marcelling is a petrol pump attendant.  Her youngest son Einstein is still at school.

Sefina joined Bridge of Hope’s micro loan program in March 2006 and together with her other women team members is already on her third loan of Rph 1,000,000 (AU$130).  “I had never borrowed money before,” said Sefina. “But I really like the Bridge or Hope program as it has given me an opportunity to expand the local kiosk I run in my village.”  The first loan Sefina received over a year ago was Rph 500,000 (AU70).

Before receiving her first loan from Bridge of Hope, Sefina was limited on how many products she could sell at the kiosk in her local village.  She started by selling fried bananas and only working two or three days a week.  Through the loan system she has been able to expand the kiosk to include fish, rice, vegetables and other consumables.

“I used to earn about Rph 40,000 per day (AU$5),” said Sefina.  “But now 12 months later I have been able to more than triple that to Rph 150,000 per day (AU$20),” she announced proudly.   And the other women in her group confirmed that, while clapping their hands excitedly and shouted “Yes it’s true – she really does earn that much money”.  They all encouraged their friend to tell more about her successful business.

Sefina is a hard working woman.  Her thriving kiosk, located alongside a narrow, bumpy road in the village is now open seven days a week.  She is a highly motivated lady who is very clear about how the money from the loans is helping her.   More expansion plans are definitely on the horizon.

“I want to build a bigger business,” she said confidently.  “I’m very busy and whilst I get busier as the business expands, it feels good to be busy.  I like it and I’m happy,” she said with a broad smile.  

Sefina’s loan group is a close knit group of women. They are all enjoying being together and supporting each other with any business problems they have.  “It is a lot of fun to do the training together, such as jam making and baking,” said Sefina. “ The training program binds us together.”

Sefina thanks God for looking after her and giving her the opportunity to join the program.  All of the women go to the same church and use some of their money to donate to the church to help the widows there.  Sefina also helps out in her community by assisting with the catering for funeral services.

When asked what she plans to do with her next loan she says: “I can keep expanding the business of course.”  She paused briefly and then added proudly: “And it will help me to keep my son Einstein in high school.   In fact, we want to be able to send him to university.

“The loans I have received from Bridge of Hope have given me that hope,” she concluded.   

Katrina (42) is married to Elvianus (41) and lives in a small house on her uncle’s land with her son Doddy (11) and her elderly mother Anna.  She is part of the Winetin Village community, where the majority of the people are farmers living under the flight path of Manado’s international airport.

Her daughter, Leiske (24) and eldest son Donny (20) have both left the small two-room family home to try to find work on the neighbouring island of Sumatra.  Both Leiske and Donny had to leave school in grade six (age 12) as the family could not afford to send them to high school.

Katrina’s husband, Elvianus, is a rice farmer but with limited work available his income is irregular.    “Sometimes there is no work for up to a month for my husband,” said Katrina sadly.  So, for many years Katrina has helped to support her family by picking fruit and vegetables from the local farm and then traveling one hour each way by local bus to sell the goods in the busy market in Manado.   But sometimes there was no fruit available for her to pick and buy locally so there were many days when Katrina was not able to earn any money.  An average day’s income for the family was around Rph 25,000 – that’s  AU $3 a day !

With these three dollars Katrina needed to support her family of four and then with any left over money buy local fruit to sell at the market.  So, because of her lack of available capital, it was very limiting how much she was able to invest in food to buy and sell and there was no spare cash for any medical emergencies.  

In the past Katrina had to borrow money from a loan shark if her children were sick.  This happened last year when Doddy had to spend two weeks in hospital with suspected typhoid.   “That was our only choice,” said Katrina “We couldn’t afford to pay the medical costs and I had to continue to try and work whilst Doddy was in hospital. I was charged 20 per cent interest per month and had to make daily repayments to the loan shark.”

Katrina and her family were trapped in the poverty cycle. The family’s financial position was very shaky.

“Of course I worried, but what else could I do?” said Katrina with a frown.  “But then last year I heard about Bridge of Hope and its micro lending program from a friend in the village.   I heard that it was a very good loan system for people like us who are weak economically,” she said.  She decided to join the 18-member loan group who meet once a week to share their business problems and to pray with and encourage each other.

“My first loan from the Bridge of Hope helped me to repay Doddy’s medical bills and use the extra capital to buy more fruit to sell,” she said.  Since joining the loan system with Bridge of Hope, Katrina has been able to double her daily income to an average of Rph 50,000 per day – around AU$6.50 per day !

When asked how she feels about this, she looks up and gives a broad grin “I used to always worry about money. I still worry sometimes, but life is much more enjoyable now.” “I can now also save as well, so if we have any medical difficulties I have savings I can use. Since joining Bridge of Hope I have been able to save Rph 175,000 (AU$25.00),” she said proudly.

Katrina is also enjoying the training she is getting with her Bridge of Hope loan group in her village.  “I’m learning lots of new things such as how to make noodles and cookies.”   Now with the help of the loans Katrina has diversified her business, selling fish, which she buys and sells in her village.

Katrina can now afford to send Doddy to high school which requires an admission fee of  Rph 200,000 (AU$28). The loan has given Katrina a new found hope and she can see a future for her and her family.  “Yes,” she sighs with relief. “The loan has given me freedom.”