Youth Off The Streets Overseas
|
Welcome to Youth Off The Streets Overseas
|
 Since 1991, Youth Off The Streets has been helping disadvantaged young people in Australia and has now expanded its reach with the Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund.
Working on small projects alongside local partners, the Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund provides non-religious and non-discriminatory assistance – including housing, education, health and welfare facilities and programmes – to children in countries emerging from conflict and other challenges.
Father Chris Riley first saw an opportunity to help overseas in East Timor after independence in 2002, and then moved quickly to assist in Indonesia after the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. Building on these successes, Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund now also has projects underway in the Philippines, and Tanzania. Over 200 children rely on us for basic necessities, including food and water, shelter and education.
In 2006, Father Riley was awarded the Human Rights Medal from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the AUSTCARE Peter Cullen Humanitarian Award, in addition to receiving a Member (AM), General Division of the Order of Australia, at the Queen’s Birthday Honours. In late 2007, Father Riley was awarded the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal, recognising the achievements of the first Volunteer team sent to Aceh after the tsunami. He is the current CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund.
|
|
|
Children planting a garden at the Children’s Care Centre
|
Father Chris Riley is proud to advise that the permanent Muhammadiyah / Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund Children’s Care Centre in Banda Aceh, Indonesia is now open. Officiating at the opening ceremony was Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Bill Farmer and the Vice-Governor of Aceh, Mr as well as the Chairman of Muhammadiyah Dr Sudibyo Markus, Father Chris Riley (CEO) and Tony Stewart MP (Chairman) of Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund.
The Children’s Care Centre is the result of a partnership between Australia’s charity organisation, Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund and Indonesia’s second largest Muslim welfare agency, Muhammadiyah. The partnership was formed when the two organisations worked together to provide aid in the direct aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
|
Children having dinner in the new dining room
|
Since February 2005, the two organisations have been operating a semi-permanent Centre that has consistently cared for over 50 children who were separated or unattached from their primary carers as a result of the tsunami. The partnership has also now completed the construction of a new permanent Children’s Care Centre with the capacity to house and care for 80 children.
“This is a huge achievement,” said Father Chris Riley, CEO and Founder, Youth Off The Streets, “It is the first time that children and teenagers in a Muhammadiyah orphanage in Indonesia will be housed in cottage style accommodation with a house parent who is dedicated to providing care for the children in each cottage,” he said.
|
Children help with tree planting
|
“We are thrilled this wonderful project has finally completed, and that Australian generosity to our tsunami appeal has allowed the Children’s Care Centre to become a reality. We thank all the supporters who have helped us give these children a home. We are especially grateful to Clubs across NSW and ClubsNSW who have donated over $1 Million to this project,” he continued.
Over the last 4 years, ten cottages have been built with each cottage having four bedrooms to sleep eight people. Other construction has included a central lounge area in each cottage for relaxing and doing projects such as homework, a Mosque, an administration office and communal dining hall and kitchen.
|
Fun game of volleyball at the Centre
|
Outdoors, a central sporting field allows lots of fun and games after school and on weekends while part of the land will be used for some agricultural activities, including crops, cattle and fresh water fish farming. Eventually it is hoped that the sale of some of this fresh produce will go towards the running costs of the Centre, as well as providing food for the Centre’s young residents.
Over the course of the Centre’s operation, 9 residents have progressed to vocational and tertiary studies at universities in Aceh. These students now live outside the Centre, either on campus or in private accommodation with the support of the Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund’s ACEH Scholarship Program, supported by ClubsNSW.
To read more about a day in the life of the Centre, its history and view photos, please click here.
|
|
|
|
Hostel under construction
|
Youth Off The Streets is excited to advise that Stage 1 of the major St James Kilolo High School project is now complete, comprising four classrooms, offices and toilet block. The new high school, when finished, will house and educate up to 900 young people from 83 surrounding villages in this region of Tanzania. Building work for Stage 2, two large hostel style accommodation blocks for boys and girls, is almost complete, with plumbing and wiring now being finished. Stage 3 has started, and consists of a dining hall, administration block and Headmaster’s house. School desks and chairs have been purchased in readiness for the first students. Local labourers and builders are working on the project, collecting and breaking rocks for the foundations then making the bricks for the building walls. |
|
Completed classrooms
|
The local government will register the school and the local communities are excited that all young people in the region will have the opportunity to attend high school. This wonderful project will have a long lasting impact on the region, employing local teachers and support staff when open, and providing educational opportunities for future generations. Canterbury League Club has been a major supporter of this project. A recent donation from the Club was used to purchase books and furniture, and also facilitated the connection of electricity and water to the completed buildings. |
|
|
|
|
