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Welcome to Volume 3, Issue 1 of OnBoard,
SurfAid International's Australasian eNewsletter.
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KATIET CENTRE – Cooking and nutrition class a big success
SurfAid Community Facilitator, Wati, holds a cooking/nutrition class at the Katiet Centre.
SurfAid Community Facilitator, Wati, holds a cooking/nutrition class at the Katiet Centre.
SurfAid Community Facilitor, Wati, held a cooking and nutrition class for Care Group mothers from the hamlets (dusun) of Mongan Bosua, Katiet and Sao in April.
About 20 mothers attended the day-long workshop which incorporated a range of activities at the Quiksilver SurfAid Community Health Training Centre.
The mothers collected a variety of locally available, healthy food and, under the guidance and instruction of Wati, they prepared three different types of meals that would be ideal for pregnant mothers, babies under 12 months and infants under five.
+ Click here to read the full story!International Board Visits The Mentawai To Review Programs and Direction
SurfAid’s International Board (IB) held its annual field meeting in the Mentawai Islands in March, reviewing the programs and setting the future course of the organization, which is now eight years old.
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Board members Steve Hathaway (chairman), Ray Wilson, Harry Hodge and Paul Riehle were all able to make the trip while Santiago Aguerre unfortunately had to make a last-minute withdrawal due to illness. All donate their time voluntarily to SurfAid.
Senior management staff in attendance included CEO Dr Dave Jenkins, who also sits on the International Board, Chief Operations Officer Andrew Judge, Program Director Alan Rogerson and Country Director Bart Rombaut.
+ Click here to read the full story!
AusAID Reviews E-Prep Program in the Mentawai and Nias
The Wakil Bupati (Vice Regent) of the Mentawai, Yudas Sabaggalet, at the inauguration and first test run of the new radio station, Radio Sasaraina, in Tua Pejat which is now broadcasting E-Prep programs. Photo: Kirk Willcox/SAI
In late April/early May, a team from AusAID – the Australian Government’s Agency for International Development – conducted a mid-program review of SurfAid’s three-year, $3.15 million Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Program in the Mentawai and Nias islands that AusAID funds as part of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership.
The E-Prep program, which targets 55 coastal villages (22 villages in the Mentawai Islands and 33 villages in Nias), began in October 2006 and focuses on three objectives:
1) Raising community awareness
2) Building the capacity of the community and developing contingency plans; and
3) Disaster mitigation.
+ Click here to read the full story!
Staff Profile – Mona Lisa in the Mentawai
E-Prep staff member Mona Lisa, left, performed in a traditional Mentawai dancing exhibition in the village of Tiop, on the island of Siberut Selatan, during a ceremony on the AusAID program review visit in April. Photo: Kirk Willcox / SAI
SurfAid has its own Mona Lisa and she’s just as valuable to the team as the more famous one hanging on a wall in the Paris Louvre.
Our Mona Lisa, 25, has been part of the E-Prep Program team in the Mentawai Islands since June 2007.
Born on the northernmost Mentawai island of Siberut, Mona Lisa lives in Katurei village in South Siberut and she works in the hamlets of Tiop and Sarausau.
She is one of 12 dedicated E-Prep Community Facilitators who live together with the target communities, speaking the dialect and understanding the local culture and customs.
+ Click here to read the full story!
Two SurfAid Staff Contract Malaria E-Prep Community Facilitator Mona Lisa became seriously ill in the field in June and contracted the two types of malaria found in the Mentawai – plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax. Another E-Prep CF, Yimi, also contracted plasmodium falciparum which, without treatment, can be fatal. Both were rushed by SurfAid’s fast boat, Sibex, from Tua Pejat to Padang, a 150km trip across the strait, on Friday 20 June, where they were met by ambulance, which rushed them to hospital in Padang.
After treatment, Mona Lisa was able to leave hospital three days later and doctors advised home rest for five days. Yimi also recovered quickly and both staff are now back in the field. The illnesses highlight the dangers for our staff working in the field.
Since the pair became ill, there have been reports of further cases of malaria in Mappadegat village, near Tua Pejat.
Fundraising competition:
 Australia competition winner Alana Pearce. |
The SurfAid International Schools Program, supported by Billabong, recently wrapped up its first year of fundraising in Australia and New Zealand. The top fundraising schools from each country chose their highest fundraising student to receive a one week trip to the Mentawai Islands, which will take place in July of this year.
Each student, along with one parent, will spend a week in the Mentawai Islands with the SurfAid team visiting the communities we work in, participating in local village activities such as “gotong royong” (community clean up day), learning about the Mentawai culture, experiencing the work SurfAid does first hand while also having the opportunity to surf some of the most famous surf breaks in the world.
NZ competition winner Nick Evermy.
We would like to thank these outstanding young individuals on behalf of SurfAid and the Mentawai people for their amazing effort! The winners for this year are:
Alana Pearce, Barrenjoey High School, Australia
Nick Evermy, Tauranga Boys College, New Zealand
Angus and Julia Stone: Ambassadors for SurfAid International
Angus and Julia Stone, the latest SurfAid ambassadors.
We welcome and thank musicians Angus and Julia Stone and their band for agreeing to become ambassadors and supporters of SurfAid. The pair, who come from Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches, are building a strong musical following around the world. Their latest album, “A Book Like This” has gone gold in Australia and they are currently touring the Australia and the UK where they are playing to full houses. A recent concert held at their old high school contributed $1700 to SurfAid. We wish them every success and look forward to following their musical and artistic journey.
NZ Board Meeting:
The NZ board members had an informal meeting in Raglan 19-20th April and fortunately the surf obliged as well with 5-6 ft waves and off-shore so subsequently the meeting went on longer than expected.
Design For Humanity Comes To Sydney
Billabong Girls will be holding a Design For Humanity (DFH) event, incorporating fashion, art and music, in Sydney later this year with proceeds going to SurfAid International.
Billabong has already held two DFH events for SurfAid, one in Los Angeles in May and another in Paris in November last year, and both were very successful events, so thanks again to Billabong.
The pieces from the fashion show will be auctioned, as well as artwork from local artists. And there’ll be live music, a DJ, SurfAid footage from the field, a photo gallery and Billabong pro surfers.
The venue is the Forum, in the Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park.
Here’s your chance to support SurfAid and have fun at the same time.
For tickets and more info, visit: www.designforhumanity.com
Help Jackson English cross the Molokai Channel for SurfAid
Jackson English with a very serious piece of paddling equipment. He means business!
Australian paddleboarder Jackson English will be racing in the Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race on 27 July to help raise money and create further awareness of SurfAid International’s work in the Mentawai and Nias islands.
Jackson, 33, a frustrated surfer who resides in Singapore and has helped co-ordinate fundraising events that have raised more than $150,000 for SurfAid International, is looking forward to getting back on his paddleboard and “surfing” across one of the roughest stretches of ocean in the world.
“I haven’t competed in this event since 2003 and I’m really looking forward to catching up with old friends and raising awareness for the outstanding work that SurfAid does in the islands,” he said.
“And I’d like to thank my events supporters - Quiksilver, Joe Bark Paddleboards, Kaenon Polarised and K2 Engineering.”
You can help Jackson get across the Molokai Channel by making an online donation on the www.surfaidinternational.org website. Please write “Jackson” in the additional information box so we know it’s for his paddle.
+ Click here to read the full story!
Jack Johnson Helps SurfAid
Jack Johnson with SurfAid's NZ Development Manager Viv Hill (centre) and volunteers Sean and Morgan, at the New Plymouth concert.
Although no new events are on the calendar for New Zealand, we are continuing to capitalize on the Jack Johnson Tour which was around Easter – any new donations that name or mention Jack Johnson can in effect be doubled thanks to the American “All at Once” arrangement. This offer is valid until September so please donate. Go to www.surfaidinternational.org to donate now.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out with these events, including Kyle Bell, Phil and Storm Dreifuss, and all the other fantastic volunteers!
Fundraising Highlights:
United World College of SE Asia Raises S$55,000 for SurfAid
Dr Dave Jenkins accepting a cheque from students at United World College of SE Asia.
Dr Dave Jenkins accepting a cheque from students at United World College of SE Asia.
The students of the United World College of SE Asia in Singapore presented a S$55,000 cheque to SurfAid International CEO Dr Dave Jenkins in June.
The students raised the money for SurfAid with their 24-Hour Swim Challenge three months ago.
SurfAid CEO Dr Dave Jenkins said that his trip to the United World College was “truly an inspiring activity”.
“I can feel the spirit is high there,” Dr Jenkins said. “The teachers are committed to providing great leadership and the result is the children have come together and raised a total of S$150,000 for SurfAid in the last three years.
“All of this was only possible because of the management and skill of Jackson English, whose untiring volunteer work has mobilized the school into joint action. It’s an extraordinary effort that sets an example of what people can do when they come together in purpose, so thank you very much to all involved.”
Charity Fundraiser Reaches New Heights
Gerringong's Wave of Relief & the 7 Miles of Smiles Longboard Event, Gerroa
It's been another phenomenal effort from the crew down Gerringong and Gerroa way who, following the May 3rd 7 Miles of Smiles Longboard Event and Wave of Relief Trivia Night, have now raised 28 grand for SurfAid in just four years! Both 2008 events raised a total of $9,263 proving this is one dedicated surfing community when it comes to extending a helping hand to those less fortunate.
SurfAid would like to thank Andrew Heffernan, Glenn Isemonger, Ian Gilbertson (OAM) Bruce Wallace and John Mandybur (the organising committee) and all the volunteers who helped behind the scenes and on the night. We'd also like to thank the Gerringong & Gerroa businesses for so generously contributing prizes, the Malnutritions Board Riders Club, the entertainers and everyone who attended the night.
Mass kudos must also go Milton Brown who spoke to the hundreds of supporters present about the important work being carried out in the Mentawai & Nias islands.
We look forward to an even bigger event in 2009!
Blues and Roots Festival:
In March, SurfAid had a stall at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival at Byron Bay and raised over $1,600 as well as rasing SurfAid's profile within this community. A big thank you to everyone who helped with the stall including SurfAid’s Milton Brown and Matt Martyniuk, who donated their time, Milton’s wife Marilyn, Ian Cohen, Jan Barham, John Bushelle and Fiona, Steve and Carmel Watts, Brad O’Connell, Peter Schwabe, Erin Purser and Suzie Walker, and to all the Festival crew who made this possible.
Kerikeri Sausage Sizzle:
Nick Dawson from Kerikeri, Northland, NZ held an independent surf competition and raised $120.00 for SurfAid. He plans to hold a sausage sizzle outside the Warehouse, Kerikeri and donate more – please support his efforts and is keen to challenge any others who think they can do better!!
Other fundraising: Thanks to SurfAid Volunteers: Special thanks to: Donor Support Australia and New Zealand: $100,000+ $50,000+ $10,000+ $5000+ $1000+
Our thanks also goes out to Will Semple from Year 9 Woodleigh School in Victoria for his fantastic fundraising efforts, the kids and teachers from the Gold Coast Adventist School in Queensland, and Jessica Tye and all the crew involved with the Billabong Girls Wish-band Fundraiser.
SurfAid International relies heavily on the generosity of volunteers and we would like to thank the following tireless volunteers: Kellie Francis, Lizzie Murray, Peter Bly, Duncan Maitland, Jamoe Caskey, Doug Lees and all the crew from Surfing World. Thank you!
OffShore Surf Tours in Victoria, Your H2O Pty Ltd., and Long Reef Surf Club NSW.
SurfAid would like to extend special thanks to the following individual contributors for recent donations to SurfAid International Australia and New Zealand:
Bruce and Sue Shepherd
Dan and Samantha White
Lonely Planet
Tony Margan and Ant Packaging
Barbara Green
Chris Meehan
Ed Prendergrast
Johnson Young
Ian Cook
As Always, Special Thanks to Our Corporate Sponsors:
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