Successful Trotting!

Our 2010 Too Hot Too Trot Fundraiser was a HUGE Success!!!
It was a rainy Melbourne Cup Day at My Aeon, yet the charitable spirits of almost 50 YouthCom supporters were not dampened.Despite the BBQ precariously placed under a not-so waterproof awning, our chef did an exceptional job sizzling those sangas. Guests chilled out in the beer garden while the very funky,underground tunes of IV Dimension pumped through the speakers. Drinks were a plenty and marvellously poured by Steven (Owner & Bar Man Extrodnaire). Thank you to all those who attended and helped raise just under $1000 for the Neema Trust Boys Orphanage. A special thank you to Rick Inserra and the Djs of IV Dimension, Steven Sakkas for the venue, Angelo Koutouleas-our BBQer, Daniella and the Cannavo's for salads, trailer and support, Yasmin Mohammed for being a bouncer and collecting the cash and the Pigdon Street house for their BBQ! Your support was warmly recieved!

Fundraiser for The Neema Trust Boys Orphanage

What better way to spend Melbourne Cup Day then to feed those hungry enough to eat a horse!
Enjoy a BBQ lunch in the beer garden with first class tunes from IV Dimension featuring DJ Santo, Mick Scrofani, Will Barrett and Rick Inserra. All proceeds go towards the education and living costs of the Neema Trust Boys Orphanage of Kenya.
Tickets $18 including a BBQ lunch and complimentary drink. Hope to see you there!

Time	Tuesday, November 2 · 2:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	My Aeon 791 Sydney rd Brunswick, Australia

A generous donation from Anion Sanitary!

During my visit to Kenya, the women spoke to me about their everyday struggles and concerns. One common worry was the embarrassment and discomfort experienced during their menstruation periods.
The women who are based in the internally displaced communities live in tents with 7 or more other family members. These women do not have access or finances for sanitary napkins. Their living conditions have made them resort to reusing previously donated female sanitary items, which inevitably has lead to an increased prominence of hygiene related diseases including urinary tract infections.
Anion Sanitary are Singapore base, female sanitary specialists.They have generously donated over 3000 female sanitary products to the women in these internally displaced communities in Kenya. This donation will make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of women, young and old.

YouthCom would like to send a BIG THANK YOU to Anion Sanitary on behalf of these women and the community.

For more information about anion sanitary visit:http://sanitaryanion.webs.com/

YouthCom. Meets Lupus Melbourne

Yesterday I met with two incredibly inspirational women, Mary and Ita. Both vibrantly welcomed me with warm stories about their multifaceted lives surrounding family, career, travel and study. However something sets these women apart from the other local coffee sippers we sit amongst . They are both living with Lupus.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems.
Lupus Melbourne is a growing network dedicated to supporting those with lupus and other autoimmune disease.

At Lupus Melbourne...

• We believe that while we live with lupus and/or related autoimmune or chronic illnesses, we are contributing members of the community who are not defined by lupus or the status of “patient” or “sufferer”.

• We will actively support one another to live positive, healthy, fruitful and interesting lives.

• We will work in partnership with others, e.g. family, friends, colleagues, health and wellness professionals and community groups

• To reach out to the people in the community with Lupus and/or related autoimmune or chronic illnesses, listen to their stories and invite them and their families and friends to join with us as we learn together about living well with chronic illness.

• To build teams of people with lupus and related autoimmune or chronic illnesses who are committed to actively supporting one another to live positive, healthy, fruitful and interesting lives.

• To support, educate and/or advocate for people with Lupus, their families, careers, support networks and employers.

• To increase the understanding of Lupus in the Northern, Western and Central Suburbs of Melbourne.

• To share information and establish cooperative connections with health and wellness professionals, community support networks, government agencies and peak bodies.

• To maintain local, national and international connections within the wider Lupus Community
  

YouthCom. is proud to support the work and values of Lupus Melbourne.

Meetings are held on the last Saturday of every month in Moonee Ponds. For more details please visit http://lupusmelbourne.org.au/

MARAFIKI COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL....that's what friends are for.

This is a story about an unjustifiably meager community...
It is 1997 in the North-Eastern African country Kenya. Communal violence and political corruption has led to murder of thousands of Kenyans. Those who have survived are terrified of returning back to their homes which are now unsafe and reclaimed by the government as state land and property.
The internally displaced people fled to relief camps set up by the UN for their only chance of starting a new life.
Individuals were surviving off of bare rations and the women of the camp were often resorting to prostitution to feed their families. Whole families were drinking from jerry-cans that were previously used to store battery acid and other harmful liquids. Large families were cramped into dusty, small tents that were littered with chicken feces and other refuse.
3 years on.... it’s 2010 and these communities still exist. Living conditions are still as inhumane as they were in the beginning...but one thing has changed... the presence of the Marafiki Community. Marafiki volunteers offer weekly food distributions to these communities which mean hundreds of families have the essentials to feed and support their families. But we rely on ongoing community and international support to continue this mission. To donate or volunteer contact youthcomaustralia@gmail.com

YouthCom. supports the efforts and notions behind Global Voices

YouthCom_Meets_Neema Trust Boys Orphanage

YouthCom. Inspiration.wmv

Helping Hands and Minds…

So how can YOU help you ask?














Here are three ways you can make a MASSIVE impact on our cause…

1. Donations

Whether its Dollars,Shillings,Euros,Pound,Yen, Rupees,Francs,Pesos,Taka,Reais,Leva,Colones,Kuna or Marks…all donations are very welcome! Email: youthcomaustralia@gmail.com for further details.

2. Care Packages

Every month the Neema Trust Boys Orphanage and Internally Displaced Communities recieve a Care Package on behalf of YouthCom supporters and volunteers.These packages include basic items such as toiletries,books,clothes,lights,batteries,cooking utensils and other useful household items. Any similar items are greatly needed and appreciated.

3. Volunteer

Become a YouthCom. volunteer and offer your professional expertise and enthusiasm to our cause.
Roles currently on offer include;
• Marketing/Research
• Fundraising
• Graphic Design
• Photography

YouthCom. meets Neema Trust Boys Orphanage

Neema Trust is an all boys orphanage in Karinde, Kenya.

The orphanage started in 2005 and currently homes 9 boys completing their primary level schooling.

These boys were previously living on the streets of Nairobi without a family unit,proper education or basic food or shelter. Often the boys would have no other choice then to resort to violence, gang entry and begging.

In the time that I visited NTBO, the boys showed great community strength, remarkable intelligence and a sturdy spirit. However day-to-day basic struggles and a severe lack of funding means these boys will probably fall within the societal cracks which are so prevalent in this part of Africa. Education is paramount to their success, but this comes at a price…

Enter YouthCom.

Our current focus is to provide sponsorship and support to the Neema Trust Boys. We are aiming to achieve this through various forms of fundraising,donation collection and monthly “care packages”.

We need all the support we can carry back to Kenya!

Please email: youthcomaustralia@gmail.com to discuss how you can help.

Asante sana (Thank-you very very much!)