Qantas Helping Hands Community
Helping disadvantaged communities in Indonesia.
The QHHC is group of dedicated QANTAS employees and ex-employees, their families and friends who share connections with Indonesia and want to help the more disadvantaged communities in Java and Sulawesi. In operation since 2009, the focus is predominantly on education including educational sponsorships, school building, and the supply of educational resources.
BREAKING NEWS:
On our recent working trip to Jakarta in August saw our volunteers travelled to Purworkerto in Central Java to visit the Mima schools project. A great account of the trip was written by QCCA crew member Milly Burroughs. Read it in the 'Project in the Spotlight' section below.
what we do
Through our fund raising efforts we are able to assist with both major and minor projects with our partner organisations.
WORKING TRIPS: QANTAS crew participate in 2 working trips each year, visiting and working with a number of orphanages and other service providers. A trip highlight is always an outing to a local water park for a fun day with the kids.
IN JAKARTA: The QHHC connect with a number of organisations in Jakarta and assist children with educational sponsorships. We also facilitate the transition to work for several students each year - assisting them to prepare for and gain employment.
CENTRAL JAVA: The QHHC has formed a connection with a group of schools and their communities outside the town of Purworkerto - about 3 hours outside of Jogyakarta. This community runs 13 primary and secondary schools. The QHHC is assisting with programmes including school building and renovation, english language tuition and an annual inter-school boys soccer competition. In 2019 we welcome the addition of a girls volleyball competition.
CABIN CREW WORKING TRIPS ARE TWICE YEARLY
Crew visit communities and organise outings during Jakarta slips. For each trip, crew apply to join and participate fully in the programme. Family and friends are warmly invited to join us. As well as the activities, crew generously donate to our participating projects.
OUT NEXT WORKING TRIP WILL BE AUGUST 2018
Travellers
A photographic exhibition and sale
What a great weekend at the Corner Gallery in Stanmore at the end of June! We raised $3268.00 over the two days. Our opening evening and Meet the Photographers afternoon saw friends of QHHC get together to admire the works, talk all things QHHC, travel and photography and help us to raise much needed funds for our projects.
A big thank you to Phillip Bell, Corner Gallery owner who's help was invaluable during the process of mounting the exhibition. Leanne Wood, our Secretary was our main organiser and we thank her very much for her hard work to make this idea happen.
If you missed out and would like to purchase a photo, please email Leanne or Sunny (email addresses below) to talk about how we can get an amazing photo to you.
Social Feed
Check out our latest updates!
Project in the Spotlight
The Mima Schools group in Central Java was the focus of the QHHC Working Trip in August 2018. Amelia Burroughs, QCCA Flight attendant joined the QHHC for the first time for this special trip and wrote a beautiful account of her experience:
Qantas Crew working trip to Indonesia – a personal perspective.
By Amelia Burroughs - QCCA International Flight Attendant
I was so very fortunate to be able to travel to Jakarta, Indonesia with the Qantas Helping Hands Community this week (20th August – 23rd August 2018). I was extremely happy and very proud when Brett South (retired Qantas CSM), Indonesia Program Coordinator for the QHHC called me a couple of months ago asking if I would like to be involved and what attributes, and special requirements I could bring to the QHHC. I am a high school teacher as well as a flight attendant so this experience combined both my love of teaching and educating new generations and my love of my job as an International flight attendant with QANTAS.
I took this opportunity with gratitude and honour. We visited three schools in our short time in Central Java, in particular Purwokerto, in Central Java Indonesia. The smiles on the children’s faces were incredible. These students come from such small rural communities where going to school and completing an education is a huge accomplishment requiring dedication.
It made me quite emotional. Being an Australian high school teacher I was reminded that the classrooms, tools, resources, technology and abundance of teachers per student ratio are outstanding and world’s best practice. In contrast, students in rural Indonesia often share a classroom with 80 other students, sitting on the floor with one exercise book and no chair. Facilities and teaching equipment are scarce and prized. It changed my view on the excellent education system and schools we have in Australia and how we take that for granted.
Brett and the other QHHC members are so respected in these communities!! And no wonder the work they have done by fund raising here in Australia to provide for this community of schools in Purwokerto is outstanding and making a huge difference to the lives of the children. They were so happy and over whelmed with our donations of books, stationery, educational supplies, clothing, shoes, and other day to day necessities that we can run up to our supermarkets to grab so easily. These items are hard to come by in their rural communities.
The QHHC crew put so much time, commitment and heart into these projects and it really shows with recent donations allocated to a new volleyball court, new classrooms, new school furniture, new toilet facilities, a new kitchen, educational supplies and importantly qualified teachers. We are delighted that the new volleyball court will be the venue for the first QHHC funded girls volleyball competition in early 2019. This is a great initiative and we look forward to seeing the girls compete in January, at the same time as the annual QHHC Russell Cott Cup – an inter-school, inter-village soccer competition for boys.
I hope that I can have the privilege of being able to go on another QHHC trip soon and do my bit to help less fortunate children and communities in our sister country Indonesia.
Terima kasih.
FUNDRAISING
Having fun and raising money for our projects
How we fund raise
Our major source of donations
Each year we find opportunities to raise much needed funds. Our major event each year is our Annual Cocktail Party, held either at the lovely home of one of our supporters or at a spectacular venue such as Bangarra Dance Theatre, the cocktail party includes great entertainment, fabulous food and drink, raffles and a spectacular Silent Auction.
Other events in the past have included Golf Days, Lunch time BBQs at QANTAS HQ, and our annual dinner.
We are always looking for businesses and individuals to help us find great prizes for our fund raising events. If you can assist, please get in touch with one of our committee members.
Fundraising News
2018 Photographic exhibition
Thanks everyone, this was a great weekend raising money and highlighting the work of some very talented photographers. We raised over $3,000 over the weekend.
2017 Cocktail Party
WHAT A NIGHT! Thanks everyone for attending. Over 150 people enjoyed a night of fun and prizes at Bangarra Dance Theatre on Sydney harbour. We raised over $22,000 which will be shared amongst our projects in 2018.
AIA Awards Dinner
In 2017 we ran two Bunnings BBQs during busy weekends at Mascot and Alexandria. A Bunnings BBQ is a busy day and we thank all our volunteers. Over the two weekends we raised more than $4,000.
Sponsorship Program
Educational assistance at Elsafan
We currently have 40 children on educational sponsorships at Yayasan Elsafan. These sponsorships pay for yearly school fees, and other required resources for children. We have a couple of available sponsorship places for 2015-16. We are grateful for the assistance of Advanced Community Management for their help with administering the program. Please contact Danielle Elvy or email the President for more information
who are our committee?
2018
Committee members and roles
Executive:
Salam Ibrahim. President
Bryan Foskett. Treasurer
Leanne Wood. Secretary
Committee:
Brett South. Project Coordinator (Indonesia)
Danielle Elvy. Sponsorship Coordinator
Toto Saptono. In-country Indonesia Projects Co-ordinator
Eslan Susanto: Centra Java Projects Coordinator
Chris Crimmins: Working Trip Leader
Phillip South. Legal advisor
Brett Smith: Committee member and Community Partnership Liasion
Sunny South
Fund Raising Committee members: Nathalie Surajaya
Rahma Podesta, Sunny South
Victoria Pollard, Leanne Wood
our partner projects
working in Indonesia with great people making a difference
SALVATIONAL ARMY EDUCATION CORPS, CENTRAL SULAWESI
SCHOOL BUILDING AND SOCCER TOURNAMENTS
The Salvation Army Education Corps manages approximately 80 primary schools in remote mountainous regions in south Central Sulawesi. The QHHC continues to support the building and renovation of schools in need including our latest project in Dongi Dongi. A boarding house is nearing completion in Palu, where children at high school level can attend school in town and live in a safe and caring environment. A yearly soccer competition is funded bringing children from remote villages to one location for a week of games, fun and competition.
In January 2016 Indonesian Projects Co-ordinator Brett South and QHHC President Sunny South attended the opening of two major projects - the Boarding House in Palu and the rural school in Dongi Dongi. It's great to see these projects completed and we are pleased that 30 students can now attend school and training in Palu, housed safely and conveniently near the school. Dongi Dongi will benefit from three new classrooms and a suite of new furniture that will arrive very soon.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the raising of funds for these projects. particular thanks goes to Agility Logistics, Advanced Community Management, The South family and many others that contributed.
These projects have really seen the communities benefit from better schools and facilities and QHHC have now ceased the partnership project in Palu. We wish the members of the community well in improving educational opportunities for children living in this beautiful and remote part of the world.
KAMPUNG SAWAH
EDUCATION, WATER AND COMMUNITY SKILLS
Kampung Sawah is a community living on the side of a rubbish dump in Cilencing, North Jakarta. The QHHC has funded a number of initiatives including the distribution of fresh water, building and fit out of a preschool facility. Recently supporters of QHHC purchased and supplied sewing machines to assist local women to learn new skills to help them earn money for their families. The QHHC has forged a strong relationship with the people of Kampung Sawah and crew visit regularly when in Jakarta.
YAYASAN ELSAFAN
EDUCATION AND EQUIPMENT
Yayasan Elsafan is a centre for blind students in Jakarta for children from all round Indonesia. The QHHC assists through annual sponsorships of approximately 40 students to help them with their educational needs. From time to time QHHC raise money for or donate specialist equipment for the centre including a braille printer and wheelchairs.
KAMPUNG MELAYU
RESIDENTIAL FACILITY AND PRESCHOOL
Kampung Melayu in east Jakarta is home to 50 children from rural areas, mostly just outside Jakarta. QHHC regularly visit the great kids at Kampung Melayu and assist with their needs on a yearly basis. They join us for QHHC outings and participate in our transition to work programme, where QHHC acts as a facilitator in transitioning to work after high school graduation for a number of students each year.
Recent assistance given to Kampung Melayu was to help with vital roof repairs which are now complete.
MI PETAHUNAN-PURWOKERTO
CENTRAL JAVA
We are assisting this community of 13 rural schools to improve equipment and resources for their primary aged children. A soccer competition in the local area with all schools participating has become an annual event . In 2018 we added an English Language Speaking Competition. A donation of sewing machines in 2018 was celebrated with a sewing workshop by QHHC supporters during the January trip to the region.
The QHHC supports a program of school building and renovation at several of the communities schools.
In 2019 we are looking forward to funding a volley ball comp for girls, which will be held at the same time as the Soccer.
Our partnership with this project has continued to grow and it is now a regular part of the QHHC calendar with several visits per year to connect with the communities outside Purworkerto.
partner organisations
Lots of companies and individuals help us each year to make our fund raising efforts successful
QANTAS
We appreciate the ability to schedule 2 working trips per year and thank Qantas and Jetstar for assisting us with venues and prizes at our annual cocktail party.
PT JAS
Our friends at PT JAS have supplied us with fabulous additions to our major cocktail party holiday prize each year. PT JAS also works closely with us in our transition to work program.
AEROWISATA
Aerowisata is a great supporter of QHHC, helping us with our working trips and adding to our prize pool at our annual cocktail party.
NETFARE TRAVEL
Jamie and the staff at Netfare have been great supporters of the QHHC for some time offering us accommodation packages for our cocktail party prize pool and assisting us with booking airline tickets not he ground in Indonesia.
QHHC Promotional Video
Thanks to QHHC member Ben Holzwart for creating some amazing footage
Copyright 2015