After four years with ADC, we are very sad to farewell our fantastic Administrator, Pamela Day.
Pamela was ADC's first employee, and from the outset, she has been an integral part of the ADC family. She is passionate about the work that we do and has a deep understanding of this organisation. From building relationships with members, to organising and running events, to facilitating, to managing multiple databases and accounts, she has been instrumental in transforming ADC into the organisation it is today. Her enthusiasm, efficiency, warmth, and sense of fun (not to mention delicious baking!) have made her a dearly loved member of the team. Pamela has been invaluable to ADC and will be sorely missed. In between spending time with her five gorgeous grandchildren, we hope that she will stay involved and in touch. Pamela's last day as Administrator will be Monday 31 October. In May Borderless Productions film 'On the Backs of Women' won best short film at the DocEdge film festival in New Zealand, making it eligible for an Academy Award. The film follows the lives of three of ADC’s clients in Myanmar and demonstrates the power of microfinance to change lives. In partnership with Borderless, ADC has launched an ongoing campaign called "BackAWoman" that is using the film to inspire a global audience to empower entrepreneurial women in Myanmar. The film is available for people and organisations to host private screenings and fundraise to help us support more women with access to responsible microfinance. Private screenings have been happening all over New Zealand over the past few months which have raised over $10,000 for ADC so far, with lots more to come! These have ranged from small dinners and pizza parties to cinema screenings, which have all been very successful. Every $300 (approximately) raised through the campaign will provide another woman in Myanmar with access to microfinance, a hand-up to build a better future. The film and campaign has been getting quite a bit of media attention, being featured on Newshub, on Radio New Zealand and screenings featured in a number of local newspapers. We are thankful to all of our hosts and organisations like Global Women, Marsh, P3 Foundation and Arthur’s Cinema for screening the film, sharing the stories of our microfinance clients and inspiring change through small actions. If you’d like to host a screening and get on board with the campaign or help us share these amazing stories in any way then visit www.backawoman.com to sign up or contact our campaign coordinator Many Zhu at many.zhu@adc.org.nz Summer in the City was created as a way for women to come together, network and celebrate the amazing things that women in New Zealand are doing, whilst empowering entrepreneurial women in Myanmar with access to microfinance.
It will be an evening to celebrate women doing incredible things across several sectors of society, to create ripple effects both at home and abroad in advancing the empowerment of women. Enjoy live entertainment, canapes, guest speakers, goodie bags and charity cocktails - we know this will be a sell-out event, so get your ticket quick. Join us on Saturday 12th November from 7pm - we'll see you there! In July I was fortunate enough visit the team at ZMF (our partner microfinance institution) and catch up on all the exciting things happening in Kalaymyo. The last time we’d seen each other was over a year ago when Borderless Productions were shooting their film, “On the Backs of Women”. A lot has changed since then.
The team excitedly welcomed me in to the office and showed me around the new layout. For the first time I saw the office with electricity! It was no longer the dark space I remember where work was inevitably limited by the life of a laptop battery. The new solar power system is providing stable power for laptops, cellphones, and overhead lighting, all of which has greatly improved ZMF’s ability to manage daily operations and serve their clients. They are super grateful to the ADC supporters who helped fund the system. By fortunate timing, the team from ZMF’s Tamu branch were in town working from the Kalaymyo office. They were preparing to hold a client business training session for 50 new clients who were due to receive loans from the recent money granted by ADC. It was great to share the team’s enthusiasm and as always it was exciting to see our supporters’ contributions making a real impact in the local community. Outside of the exciting developments at ZMF, the Myanmar microfinance sector is also experiencing positive change as the government shifts away from military rule. In September the government approved amendments to Myanmar’s microfinance laws. The amendments are designed to help microfinance institutions de-risk their portfolios, improve savings products for clients, and allow institutions better access to foreign investment to grow the microfinance sector. The changes will make it easier for us to grant donor funds to ZMF and allow them to better serve their clients with high quality microcredit and savings products. Overall it’s very exciting news and it means your donations will have an even bigger impact on local communities. We wanted to introduce you to someone amazing! Meet Hnit from Kalaymyo. Hnit has worked as a delivery man in Kalaymyo for years. He has a 3 wheeled motorcycle which he uses for deliveries. Deliveries can range from taking people to markets or delivering goods. His deliveries often occur at odd hours so Hnit regularly works late into the night. Hnit supplements his income by doing manual labour jobs whenever they're available. Earlier this year, Hnit opened a workshop to service and repair his and other peoples' motorcycles. Our partner bank, ZMF, approved him for a microloan to help set the shop up and to hire his first employee, his brother, who is a skilled mechanic. The brothers enjoy working together and are a great team - they’re working hard to build their business and make the most of their new venture. As the workshop business grows, Hnit hopes to reduce his workload to spend more time with his wife and two sons. Hnit sees this business as an opportunity to improve his family's livelihood and provide financial security for their future. The loan ZMF provided was the catalyst he needed to make it happen.
ADC is delighted to be able to support Hnit. He is skilled, determined, and capable of making his business a success. Hnit wouldn't have had this opportunity without ADC's donors believing and investing in him. Thank you so much for your contributions! ADC helps support 1000's of ambitious people like Hnit every year to bring themselves and their families out of poverty. Every donation you give makes real difference. Fra Everard hosted a winter Dinner & Film night in Auckland this year, after being inspired by volunteer work within the Burmese community in Auckland. Fra writes: My first introduction to Myanmar was through working as a Red Cross refugee support volunteer earlier this year. I was placed with a young couple in their 20's with a baby boy aged 10 months. I was struck by their resilience, compassion and grace in the face of adversity. When I heard about the "Back a Woman" campaign, I jumped at the opportunity to showcase an amazing film and bring Kiwis closer to the Burmese community - living both in Myanmar and in our own backyard. I saw the event as a perfect opportunity to support both ADC's clients in Myanmar and Burmese former refugees living here in Auckland, who are supported by amazing organisations such as the WISE Collective and the Red Cross. There was a wonderful symmetry between seeing ADC's clients on the film, then sitting around together, reflecting on the film and enjoying a delicious Burmese meal prepared by Burmese people living here in Auckland. We also had the privilege of hearing our caterers' story and as you can imagine, they too have had their fair share of challenges. By pure chance, it turned out they were from the same village as ADC's clients in the film!
Some people may say that "charity begins at home" but home is where the heart is and as I hope our event highlighted, we are all a lot more connected than we realise. Thank you, Fra, for being involved with ADC and organising a wonderful night! To find out more about the film and hosting your own screening click on the button below: A wonderfully successful evening on 18 August showcasing 3 of ZMF's entrepreneurial clients. Over 100 guests enjoyed authentic Burmese cuisine while watching the award winning short documentary On the Backs of Women. The evening raised $1,900 which will help a number of women set up their own business and improve their lives, and that of their family and communities. If you're interested in hosting a film evening, go to backawoman.com. We'd love to hear from you!
A fun informative evening with delicious traditional Burmese food. Buy your ticket now through Eventbrite
There's still time to get together with friends and enter this fun filled event. Email info@adc.org.nz
Executive Director Zac Colborne joined ADC in January. In February he made his first visit to ZMF, our partner project in Myanmar, with Andrew Colgan. After a couple of days of non-stop travel it was hard not to be tired when we finally arrived in Kalay, but I felt energised knowing that we would be spending the next 11 days at the centre of what ADC exists for. The first thing I noticed when we landed was that it was hot. So hot! (Kalay routinely experiences highs above 30degC at this time of year, with lows not dipping below 20degC.) Go Suan, ZMF’s CEO, met us at the airport with his trademark wide smile and big hugs. This is no ordinary business relationship - it is trust, understanding and friendship built over a long period. The next day we met with the rest of the staff - they were equally warm and we had a great working relationship. Clients can be a little different and the way they react and welcome you is different with each, depending on their personality. Trust is built over time, and you have to spend a little time with most of them for them to start opening up. This is why the ZMF staff try to build relationships with the clients, to build trust and understanding from both sides. I am generally a pretty optimistic person, but even I didn't expect the trip to go as well as it did. It can be hard to build working relationships, even over the course of months or even years, so to get such a positive and warm welcome from day one was amazing. I think I can sum it up in one word: soul. There is something about ADC, its story and most importantly the people that have made it happen that make it pretty special. And this is certainly the case with the project in Myanmar. What excited me most, aside from the clear opportunity to grow and have a significant impact, was the staff. They are so passionate about making a difference, and want to learn and grow as individuals and together to benefit people in their community. This is exactly what ADC needs in a partner and it filled me with a whole lot of confidence. Myanmar is changing rapidly. The country is opening up and that lends itself to significant development. There is a opportunity right now for ADC and our partner ZMF to take advantage of this and have a significant impact. ZMF has one of only a few licenses to operate in the area that we do. With almost a decade of experience working in the area and developing a system that is working, ZMF is uniquely placed to expand and reach more people in need. However, at the moment there is more demand than ZMF can meet. Whilst this is a positive sign for the project - and I must stress that without the continued support of all of you, our donors and members, this would not be possible - it also means that unfortunately we are not having the maximum impact that could be possible. The challenge for ADC as we grow is to maintain our soul. We have big goals - to transform thousands of lives. We need to build a community of supporters around our work that are delighted by what we are doing. - Zac Colborne |
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