Partners & programs in action
USYD & Clayton Utz
In 2019 a collaboration between USYD and CA was initiated.
In interdisciplinary groups, students were asked to explore strategies for further developing CAs new ‘Sustainable Practices Education Centre’ (SPEC), including smaller complimentary demonstration sites, as self-sustaining and locally relevant spaces for community engagement and teaching on sustainability practices.
With a grounded understanding of the local community context and CAs vision and current operations, students began to consider some of the following areas:
What are the potentially efficient and sustainable food production systems and/or crops that could be grown for both consumption and income generation?
What technologies can be adapted for prolonging quality, shelf-life and safety of food post-harvest?
Are there more sustainable and efficient ways of generating energy than solar and methane in this community?
Are there affordable and efficient technologies available to generate clean water?
How can waste be sustainably managed?
To what extent can the technologies and practices developed at the SPEC be adapted to the resources and conditions of local families? How might complimentary smaller demonstration sites be designed to support this?
In what ways can the SPEC demonstration model and site be used to facilitate community engagement across broader sustainability goals, including community wellbeing?
What kind of communication system/technology can be implemented in the SPEC to improve long distance communication and teaching (face to face) between the Australian and local CA teams?
Could microfinancing play a role in helping communities to implement what they have learned on their own individual land or within their communities?
Are there other considerations we are missing?
Project Sponsors
Communities Assist – John O’Reilly (Founder and Director of CA) and Mari Pizzinga (Founding Director and Architect of CA),
Joined by Greg Knibbs (Permaculture Expert responsible for designing and teaching the permaculture/sustainability program)
Clayton Utz & Communities Assist – Steve O’Reilly (Founding member of CA and Chairman of CU)
Clayton Utz is one of Autralia’s leading law firms, with an established and world class pro bono practice through which it promotes access to justice, including by supporting not-for-profit organisations like Communities Assist.
A summary of the student’s responses shall be revealed at the end on 2019.
Corporate Social Responsibility
CA is a proven entity that creates real and sustainable transformations to the lives of those in need. Link us to your CSR program at work & join our growing list of corporates working with us to transform the lives of children and communities in need.
Emjay Insurance
Emjay Insurance have been organising and hosting successful annual golf days at St Michael’s Golf Course every year since 2013 raising approximately a third of CA running cost per anum every year!
We could not do the work without you their commitment and support.
A big thank you to Mario, Jeff, Jordan, Smokey, Matt and all the team for being part of CA’s drive to help children and communities in need through sustainability.
This is a highly successful corporate run event that recognizes and appreciates the work that CA does.
Bazura Kids Feeding Kids
Since 2006, Barzura restaurant & friends have raised over $120k to help CA create sustainable change with Communities Assist (CA).
In 2011, Barzura initiated the healthy ‘Kids Feedings Kids’ whereby Barzura prepares and delivers healthy children’s meals to the schools at zero cost and the 100% of the funds paid goes directly to Communities Assist to feed the 30 orphaned and vulnerabe children at Rainbow Ridge.
The schools and communities we work with are currently Coogee Public & Malabar Public Schools.
Thank you to the Barzura chef’s, staff and community for all of their hard work and for helping us make such a difference.
Africa Yoga Project
Yoga is in the very early stages of adoption in Tanzania.
There are very few local yoga teachers and no yoga schools. We have connected with the only two Tanzanian yoga teachers who trained with The Africa Yoga Project in Nairobi Kenya, and they will be teaching the monthly classes for the children at Rainbow Ridge. There are community classes offered in Arusha, 2.5 hrs from our local community, and some hotels can call in yoga teachers to run classes for guests. Currently it is not easily accessible for locals to practice yoga and it is very expensive.
Other children from the local community have been invited to our Sustainable Practices Education Centre (SPEC) for classes so they can experience the benefits of yoga free of charge. It is clear that there is a keen interest to understand and learn more about the health benefits of yoga. As time goes on, we expect that yoga will become more and more popular throughout Tanzania.
The Living-Room Yoga School
The Living-Room Yoga School Coogee Beach has been dedicated to supporting CA since it inception.
In 2017 they subsidised the first yoga retreat to Tanzania where participants were united to be of service at Rainbow Ridge while also introducing yoga to the children and staff.
Communities Assist introduced the practice of yoga to the children at Rainbow Ridge as a tool to support their physical & mental health. In providing regular classes to the children & eventually the wider community we aim to offer yoga teaching as a vocational job skill that the children can choose to pursue after their schooling years, to create a sustainable future for themselves.
CA Yoga
The Living Room Yoga School Coogee Beach has been dedicated to supporting CA since it’s inception.
In 2017 they subsidised the first yoga retreat to Tanzania where participants were united to be of service at Rainbow Ridge while also introducing yoga to the children and staff.
Communities Assist introduced the practice of yoga to the children at Rainbow Ridge as a tool to support their physical & mental health. In providing regular classes to the children & eventually the wider community we aim to offer yoga teaching as a vocational job skill that the children can choose to pursue after their schooling years, to create a sustainable future for themselves.
CA Yoga Classes
Classes are catered specifically for the needs of the CA children while ensuring that the individual needs of each child is met.
Because Rainbow Ridge supports local children from the community who are disadvantaged or orphaned, there are a range of different traumas the children have endured. It is our intention that the yoga classes will help empower the children to reconnect to their bodies in a positive way, and also teach them ways to deal with difficult emotions as well as techniques for relaxation.
“ “After yoga you can sit with the kids and talk about so many things. They are free to tell you anything; their problems, their challenges, what they like, what they don’t like. It helps to open them up.” ”
The Program
Each class explores a different element of yoga to build knowledge of the practice and introduce new techniques that can assist in cultivating self-awareness, body awareness, and relaxation.
We hope that the children will be able to use these techniques as a life skill outside of class time when they feel overwhelmed, emotional, or restless.
The monthly classes with our local yoga teacher will also be attended by the onsite carers who will learn the new techniques to teach the children every other week during the month.
Benefits
Yoga & Meditation are incredible tools to increase health & wellbeing, both physically and mentally.
There are many benefits a regular yoga practice can offer:
Increased strength & flexibility
Reduced muscle tension & tightness
Injury prevention & rehabilitation
Improved posture
Increased energy levels & vitality
Reduced stress, anxiety, burn out
Calms mind
Cultivates peace, presence & relaxation
Increases brain function & concentration
Self-inquiry & self-development
Body awareness
Freedom of expression
Energy & restlessness release
History of Yoga at Rainbow Ridge
2017:
One week yoga training with Rainbow Ridge staff
Daily classes with children
A Sound Life fundraised $7,000AUD to start the yoga program
2017-2018:
Weekly classes for children taught by Rainbow Ridge staff
2018:
One week follow up training with Rainbow Ridge staff
2019:
Yoga program launch with The Africa Yoga Program at the Sustainable Practices Education Centre
Yoga Program Outline
Phase One - Monthly yoga classes for CA children
Phase Two - Free monthly classes for the wider community
Phase Three - Yoga Teacher Training
Phase One
Launched February 2019
Monthly yoga classes taught by Africa Yoga Project teacher
Classes with Rainbow Ridge Staff every other week
Only for children living at Rainbow Ridge
We aim to roll out phase one of the yoga program over a 12 month period to develop a consistent yoga practice with the CA children and staff so they experience the benefits first hand, and develop a clear understanding of the practice.
Over this time the staff will learn new techniques to work with the children in their own sessions and in times of need.
Phase Two
Launching 2020
Add monthly classes for the wider community
Free of charge for locals to attend
CA kids classes & community classes are kept separate
Taught by the same local Africa Yoga Project teacher
Phase two of the yoga program aims to introduce yoga to the wider community of Moshi. To those who have an interest and would find benefit from the practice but would not ordinarily be able to afford or have access to classes.
We anticipate that a lot of local secondary school children who are nearing the end of their studies will be interested in attending the classes with the prospect to do a yoga teacher training in future.
Phase Three
Launching 2021
Collaborating to offer yoga teacher trainings
Funds raised for trainings through sponsorship
Available to CA children who have graduated secondary school
Also offered to interested participants from the community classes
Assistance in finding work to continue with once qualified
Mentor support for graduated teachers
Phase three completes our vision to offer yoga as a vocational job skill for the CA children and those in need from the local community.
It would be amazing have a yoga teacher we supported train to continue on teaching our monthly yoga sessions with the CA children and the community classes.
School Programs
We offer life changing field trips for schools groups.
These trips are tailored to the needs of our visiting students but typically comprise direct exposure to the application of sustainability practices, experience in how our local neighbours live and of course an opportunity to meet the CA Kids.
Want to find out more?
Communities Assist has DGR status in Australia and Tanzania.
A tax deductible receipt will be issued to you upon receipt of any donation above $2.
Communities Assist Australia ACN 120 484 380
