Solidarity Matters December 2016 Edition

2016

Marist Solidarity...working in partnership for change.

The stories behind the projects where solidarity matters.

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solidaritymatters

DECEMBER

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INDIA BANGLADESH THAILAND

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CAMBODIA VIETNAM

THE PHILIPPINES

SRI LANKA

ASIA

From the CEO

Wrapping up a year of new opportunities

PACIFIC PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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KIRIBATI

BOUGAINVILLE (AR)

TIMOR-LESTE

2016 Project Snapshot AUSTRALIA

VANUATU

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Pledge your support for young East Timorese this Christmas... see back page for details.

Stand in solidarity with young East Timorese

2016 Christmas Appeal: Timor-Leste

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SOLOMON ISLANDS

SAMOA FIJI

From the CEO

Students at La Valla school in Cambodia take part in morning exercise before heading to class. La Valla is a key part of Marist Solidarity Cambodia’s work supporting children with disabilities.

Dear Marist Solidarity supporters, Solidarity partnerships are about making a difference to young people and their families’ lives across the Asia Pacific region where we support local initiatives. Many of the projects that you are supporting have small budgets initiated by local people who want to make a difference for the future of the youth of their region.

Projects include youth centres, study centres, sports programmes and vocational training. The details are outlined on our website: www.australianmaristsolidarity.net.au This year’s Christmas Appeal focuses on Timor-Leste where the team funds and assists with managing 41 projects.

With the continuing success of the Marist teachers college in Baucau, and the renovation or rebuild of over a dozen local diocesan elementary schools, the first Marist school for Timorese families draws nearer. It is anticipated that a decision on the location will be made with the diocese in coming months. Building plans will then be drafted followed by further fund searching to realise the project.

On behalf of the thousands of young people supported by Marist Solidarity across Asia and the Pacific Islands, thank you for choosing us as your charity. May the year ahead be full of promise and hope for each of you, and also the young people your generosity as partners has reached.

We cherish your interest, encouragement and support.

Br Allen Sherry CEO, Marist Solidarity

2016: Wrapping up a year of new opportunities 2016 has been a year to remember for Australian Marist Solidarity. It started in grand style in January with the highly anticipated opening of the new building at Abafala Catholic Primary School in Timor-Leste (image 2a). This was a project that was supported by several Victorian school communities whose seed funding paved the way for two successful approaches to major European Church agencies. The project was praised by a Ministry of Education representative who stated that it was one of the best school buildings he has seen in Timor-Leste.

On February 20 we woke to the news that Tropical Cyclone Winston had caused a trail of destruction across Fiji, striking that nation as the strongest cyclone ever to make landfall in the South Pacific. The response from our supporters was swift as we provided funds to help rebuild the devastated St Vincent’s College, Natovi (image 4b). The Marist Brothers Primary School in Suva (image 4a) also suffered structural damage and efforts to repair this site are ongoing.

With Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato

Si, pushing environmental concern back to the forefront, we continued to support communities to become more sustainable.

Water tanks have been installed in various projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region to enable harvesting of this abundant natural resource, while a new drinking system was installed at a Marist primary school in Samoa (image 6).

Major partnerships were developed in 2016 with Australian Marist Solidarity now working with the Marist Fathers development office, Marist Mission Centre, to deliver their international development projects. This partnership has strengthened ties within the Marist family as we link with various projects of the Marist Fathers, Marist Sisters and Marist Missionary Sisters across the world. This included expansion into three new countries – Cameroon, Tanzania and Myanmar.

Looking ahead to next year there are already big things on the horizon. On the 2nd of January the Marist Brothers will open their school for children of tea garden workers in north-eastern Bangladesh (image 1). This

school will provide free education to the children of these indentured workers in an attempt to break the vicious cycle of poverty that comes with this modern form of slavery. Also opening in January will be a new school building at St Teresinha’s Junior Secondary School in rural Timor-Leste (image 2a). Additionally, major work is scheduled to begin next year on the Community Village in Cambodia (image 3). This will provide supported accommodation for 80 children and young people with a physical disability while they attend mainstream high school and university.

Thousands of children have graduated from Marist institutions across Asia and the Pacific in the past 12 months. From lower caste young men and women in India (image 5), to aspiring teachers in Timor-Leste (image 2d), Australian Marist Solidarity is supporting real change as we aim to bring young people towards the centre from the margins through access to education.

Visit our website or fill out the back page to pledge your support today!

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2016 PROJECTS SNAPSHOT 5

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Contact us or visit our website to support these and more of our project today!

INDIA

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BANGLADESH THAILAND

CAMBODIA VIETNAM

THE PHILIPPINES

SRI LANKA

PACIFIC PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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ASIA

BOUGAINVILLE (AR)

TIMOR-LESTE

AUSTRALIA

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Bangladesh: OPENING 2017 Tea Gardens Hostel

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SOLOMON ISLANDS

VANUATU

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SAMOA FIJI

Timor-Leste: OPENING 2017 Timor-Leste: COMPLETED Timor-Leste: COMPLETED Timor-Leste: ONGOING 2c CIJ Leprosy Clinic 2d Teachers Training College 2a St Teresinha Junior Secondary 2b Abafala Catholic Primary

Cambodia: STARTING 2017 Community Village

KIRIBATI

Fiji: 4a

ONGOING

Marist Brothers High School

Fiji: ONGOING India: ONGOING Samoa: COMPLETED TC Winston Rebuild St Marcellin Higher Secondary Marist Brothers Primary School 4b 5 6

Stand in solidarity with young East Timorese this Christmas This Christmas we turn our focus to supporting the young people of Timor-Leste in Marist Solidarity projects. With 41 active projects this is one of the countries in which we are most active.

Timor-Leste has had a long and volatile history. Its Portuguese and Indonesian colonial history left Timor-Leste struggling to find its voice. Left to repair itself after decades of violence, Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in the world. Only 58% of the population over 15 years old can read and write, and 37% live on less than US$1.25 a day. Over 70% of the population lives in rural areas, which denies the majority of Timorese access to education, employment and sanitation facilities.

The Marist Brothers arrived in Timor-Leste in 2000 to help repair the education system that

had been left in disarray. After the country gained independence in 1999, the Indonesian militia displaced hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed infrastructure, the country’s electrical grid and the majority of schools.

Today Marist Solidarity works with the East Timorese people in three key ways: •

Training of teachers at the Marist Teacher Training College in Baucau,

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Assistance with rebuilding education infrastructure,

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Assisting local initiatives established by young East Timorese people.

Pledge your support for young people in Timor-Leste by contributing to the 2016 Christmas Appeal.

Support us as we work in partnership for change AUSTRALIAN MARIST SOLIDARITY The DFAT approved Marist international development agency and full member of ACFID. AMS is a signatory POSTAL ADDRESS to the ACFID Code of Conduct. Donations over $2 are tax PO Box 273 deductible.

Ashgrove West QLD 4060 MARIST ASIA-PACIFIC SOLIDARITY The Marist agency supporting education, faith formation, OFFICE PHONE Marist Ministry and welfare projects across Asia and the (+617) 3354 0600 Pacific.

MARIST VOLUNTEERS AUSTRALIA EMAIL The Marist volunteering arm in Australia offering volunteering msol@marists.org.au opportunities across Asia and the Pacific.

Marist Solidarity

CONNECT WITH US TODAY!

/maristsolidarity

D O N AT E O N L I N E (www.australianmaristsolidarity.ne t.au)

www.australianmaristsolidarity.net.au