Swap Til You Drop - 28th June

Dear friends,

On behalf of the swap team, I would like to thank every single swapper who braved the chilly, early Sunday morning and came to Crown Hotel to support our swap party fundraiser! Thanks to the generosity of our 80 or so swappers, and the hard work of my team and the Oaktree Foundation volunteers, we reached our initial target of $1000 in less than 2 hours!

It was great meeting our swappers, and based on the smiles and lovely comments and emails we have received, it seems like the event was a hit! We’re so happy to be able to contribute to the Timor-Leste Youth Livelihoods Foundation in a way that is also sustainable and beneficial for everyone involved. The success of our swap party stands as testament to the idea that one person’s ‘trash’, can truly be somebody else’s ‘treasure’ – we were so amazed by all the items that people were coming in and leaving with!




This swap party fundraiser was our first event as a team. We were grouped via the amazing Oaktree Foundation, and personally, I felt really lucky to have had the privilege and fun of working with such lovely, passionate and enthusiastic people who willingly dedicated so much heart, effort and time into this fundraiser. Our swappers might recognise them as the smiley people in the red shirts running around frantically, constantly making sure everyone was happy. Watch this space, because I am sure that this is not the last you’ll hear of Amritha, Anna, Monique and the Oaktree Foundation Generate Volunteers! It was really cool to see so many people interested in getting involved – and for those wanting to make a difference, I would definitely recommend getting involved with any of the Oaktree initiatives, and checking out any of the Global Poverty Project presentations coming to a city near you!

Again, we would like to thank our swappers and supporters for a great event. The staff at Crown Hotel were absolutely amazing, Mark at Wagamama supported our event from our very first baby steps on Twitter, Alix and the Australian East Timor Association offered our swappers amazing goods woven by East Timorese women, Salone Scalone and Sparkles Cupcakery generously provided amazing treats for our swappers, the Be Lured team were on hand to pamper our swappers, and as you can see from these lovely pics, Sam Koh did an awesome job of capturing the moment. We would also like to thank everyone who helped spread the word about our event and cause. And finally, we would like to thank our amazing volunteers who came and helped us keep the event running on the day – Celeste, Alex, Mel, Kate, Lewis, Liz, they say that friends are there not only in good times, but also in times of need!

It means a lot to us that people came and supported our idea and our cause. Poverty is a confronting issue that isn’t just prominent amoung our streets – the challenges of poverty, hunger and disease loom large in the lives of hundreds of millions around the world. The aim of our swap party was not only to raise money to alleviate the poverty of East Timorese youth, but to also benefit our community by allowing people to exchange their pre-loved clothes, books, accessories and so forth with others in the spirit of greater sustainability, and donating the rest to various local charities. Whilst poverty in East Timor is not an issue commonly discussed here in Australia, it is still a poignant issue as ever. With only seven years to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we are in urgent need of a reminder of the challenges of extreme poverty everywhere around the world, and the opportunities and necessity of more concerted and effective action to support improved livelihoods for the poorest billion people on our planet.

Thank you again to everybody involved in this event. We are excited to see the idea of the Oaktree swap party taking off – Melbourne and Brisbane, keep an eye out!

If you have any feedback, questions or comments you would like to make, we would love to hear them. Please feel free to leave a comment here, or email us at swaptilyoudrop09@gmail.com - we still check our email regularly and look forward to working together again and hearing from you,

Cheers and many thanks,
Felicity on behalf of Amritha, Anna and Monique – the best swap team ever!

Special Announcement

To all our lovely swappers and supporters,

With 2 days to go, we are really excited to announce that there will be amazing gifts for the first 150 swappers!! Come early to ensure that you get dibs on some really great stuff, and take home some gifts from our generous friends!

Boy, do we have a Wagamama surprise in stall for you!

We’ve always felt that dining at Wagamama feels like eating at a friend or relative’s place; they really take you in and fuss over you, they put extra heart & soul into your dish and they make sure you’re having a top notch time. You can imagine our total surprise and excitement when Mark from Wagamama contacted us about our event! Their fantastic service and enthusiasm for little folks like us is really testament to their “positive eating + positive living” mantra. We especially love the mouth watering chicken katsu, and recommend joining the frequent noodler program.

PS We’d also recommend following Mark on twitter @ noodle_bar … stalking just got a whole lot tastier.


Our talented friends at Be Lured Make Up Artistry & Mobile Pamper Events will there on the day to pamper you like a princess!

As Sydney’s best mobile beauty service, they offer the latest look in cosmetic beauty services such as manicures, pedicures, body treatments, bridal make up, special occasion make up, facials, relaxing massages, waxing, tinting, spray tanning. They were the masterminds behind the makeup of the models at the Le Black Book Event at the Ivy as part of Rosemount Fashion Week 2008. Contact the lovely Belinda if you’d like to feel and look beautiful for your special occasion!

Their next event is on the 17th of July - there'll be fantastic manicures, makeovers, massages, cocktails & canapes for $65/ticket. Not one to miss!

We will also have special treats for our swappers, courtesy of our fab friends at Sparkle Cupcakery!

With mouthwatering, adventurous flavours from Banana Toffee, to Green Tea & Bubbles, to Oriental Flower, we dare you to stop at just one! Each little gem is made from scratch and baked fresh every day, from the highest quality ingredients including free range eggs, creamy butter, the world’s best vanilla and Belgian chocolate. These cheeky indulgences are perfect for any special occasion – or just when you need a quick, tasty, pick-me-up :)



We are excited to announce that the hair wizards at Salon Scalone have kindly offered us vouchers for 30% off colour hair treatments on Mon-Fri for our swappers!!

Scalone Salon have been specialising in all modes of colouring, cutting, hair extending and thermal straightening, for eastern suburbs residents and film & TV personalities for well over 10 years, and would now like to share a special treat with our swappers! The fun won’t end when the swap party ends – come into their salon and enjoy a cappuccino or glass of wine and relax while they work their magic at an amazing 30% off. If you’re not happy, they’re not happy.

They have also kindly offered a service for the fashion parade winner! So be sure to snap up some great finds at the swap party, and bring on the catwalk!




The talented Sam Koh has kindly offered to be our style event photographer for the day!

Smile and strike a pose for our gallery. Check out Sam’s amazing photo gallery, and be sure to look at the photos of the recent Vivid event.

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We can't wait!!

Happy Swapping!

18 days to go!

Hi everyone!

With less than 3 weeks to go, here is some more info to get you excited about the swap party!

FAQs


DONATIONS


Q: How much is it, and how do I donate?
Great news guys- the asking price is now $15 at the door! Your generous donation will make a huge difference on the lives of East Timorese youth. Half a day of swapping (fun), provides for 15 days of much-needed sustainable education to provide them with the know- how to start up their own businesses and generate income for many years to come.

We would appreciate donations of any amount beyond that, please feel free to make any donations as you see fit on the day, or at our new online donation page.





A little goes a long way, and we would really appreciate it if you could help spread the word about this event!


Q: What do I get for my money?
Apart from a fantastic opportunity to swap clothes & accessories you don't wear for those you will, we will be providing great music, arts & crafts for you to get involved in. There will
also be a Wagamama surprise! For only $15, it's all too hard to say no to. Plus, we'll have some fashion stylists on board to help you out & stick around for the launch of our fashion show! Put on your new outfits & strut your stuff. Be photographed for our vintage style gallery!


Q: Where is my donation going?
Did you know that 42% of East Timorese live below the World Bank poverty line of $1US, and a startling 40% live below the extreme poverty line of $0.55US?

The adult literacy rate is a shocking 58% and in 2008, 80% of the youth were unemployed.

These devastating rates have been attributed partly to the lack of access to quality education.
Out of 100, only 8 will have tertiary education.

This is where we all step in.

Oaktree Foundation has partnered with the good folks at Plan Timor-Leste to develop the Timor-Leste Youth Livelihoods Program. Their overarching goal is to ensure that Timorese youth have access to adequate income and have the opportunity to participate productively in their communities through vocational training, business skills and life skills training specific to the needs of each group. The Program will work with 10 communities in Alieu (pronounced eye-lay-oh) to create 20-25 sustainable businesses.

You can help make a huge difference.

Just over $1 a day provides these youth with enough skills to form their own businesses and help generate income for the families and communities for many years to come.

For more info on this great cause, please head to www.planinternational.org/wherewework/asia/easttimor/ .

LOCATION

Q: How do I get there? Where is it?
We have been fortunate enough to secure the lavish Dome Bar at Crown Hotel! It is situated at 589 Crown St, Surry Hills – it is on the corner of Crown St and Cleveland St.

The hotel is a short walk, and an even shorter bus ride from Central Station.

The quickest way is to head to Elizabeth St near Kippax St (right across the road from the Central Station exit on Chalmers St/Elizabeth St), and catch any of the following busses:
· 343, 308, 309, or 310 - a 2min bus ride to Elizabeth St near Goodlet St and then approx 500m walk to Crown Hotel; or
· 393, 395, or 372 – a 5min bus ride to Cleveland St near Crown St. This bus drops you off pretty much in front of the hotel.

SWAPPING

Q: What should I bring?
Bring anything that you no longer wish to keep, and think someone else would actually want and wear. Please make sure that the items are clean, and in good condition – we will check all items at the door for signs of obvious wear and tear.

Please make sure that all clothes are on clothes hangers! We will keep record of the hangers you bring in and if you’d like, we’ll make sure you get the same number of hangers back.

So it’s probably for the best not to bring in any hangers you don’t want to let go of – those thin metallic hangers will do.

Please help the environment and re-use the bags you brought your items in – we will not be providing plastic bags.

Oh and please don’t be discouraged from coming to the party because you feel as though you have nothing to offer – you’ll never know who appreciates your style, size and generosity!

Q: How come you have a 1-for-1 token system? Why don’t you have different tokens for items of different value?
Basically, we don’t think it’s fair on you and everyone else that anyone, especially us, should judge how much your clothes are worth. As such, we’re going to place equal weighting on all items, and trust that you will find items you like, in place of items you no longer like. If you feel an item is too valuable, then perhaps it’s best that you consider not swapping it in. Remember, this is all in the name of fun and we don’t want you to regret anything!

Q: Can we try on the clothes?
Like we said above, we don’t want you to regret anything, so there will be a communal change room for you to try clothes on, so you might want to take this into account if you're a tad shy like me.

Q: What will happen to the rest of the clothes?
We will donate all of it to charity. We would like as many people as possible to benefit from our swap party :)

Many thanks for your support,

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique xx

What's got us eager to swap? East Timor's Youth Livelihoods Program

Swapping to help make poverty history for the youth of East Timor

Who are we?
Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique - four university students who, as part of The Oaktree Foundation, are raising funds next month in support of Timor-Leste's Youth Livelihoods Program. Doing your bit for East Timorese youth while swapping your way to a new wardrobe? There's really no better way to spend a Sunday.

What is The Oaktree Foundation?
In one word? Amazing. Oaktree is an entirely youth-run organisation which is working to empower developing communities through education. We believe education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle and creating lasting change in the lives of the disadvantaged.

Oaktree was founded in 2003, and is now established in NSW, ACT, QLD, SA, VIC and WA. We raise community awareness. We lobby the government. And we fundraise for our overseas projects.

Why do we care? It's simple. We know that this generation can - and will - be the ones to end poverty.

In the last six years, we have partnered with developing countries in six countries, directly empowering over 40,000 young people with access to increased educational opportunities.







'Make Poverty History', one of many Oaktree projects.


So why East Timor?

East Timor is Australia's closest neighbour. Yet it is also one of the world's poorest and youngest nations.

40% of the population live on less than $US0.55 per day.
Life expectancy is 56 years.
The adult literacy rate is only 58 per cent.
And one in ten children? They won't live to see their fifth birthdays.

Crucially, 43% of East Timor's youth remain unemployed. A lack of quality education and peer infrastructure has them facing an incredibly uncertain future.

This is where the ‘Youth Livelihoods Program’ comes in. Supported by the Oaktree Foundation, this program will work with 200 young people aged 16-30 from 10 communities within the district of Aileu, equipping these youth with the vocational, business and life skills training they need to create their own businesses and generate income to support themselves and their families.

When these youth are the future of East Timor, it is in their success that the reconstruction of an East Timor battered by political unrest and conflict lies.


Did you know that the unemployment rate in East Timor is a staggering 43%? You can help! Support the East Timor Youth Livelihoods Program."


The cost?

$375 will allow one East Timorese young person to participate in the program for one year.

$32 will support a young person for one month of the Project.

Just over a dollar a day will enable an East Timorese young person to complete the two year Project.

The clothes swap

Not only will this clothes swap allow us to raise money to alleviate the poverty of East Timorese youth (all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the program!), but we'll also be exchanging our pre-loved clothes and accessories, and gaining a new wardrobe - all in the spirit of greater sustainability. It's one of those lovely win-win situations!

Your support counts

The Oaktree Foundation receives no ongoing funding and therefore relies upon the generous support of people like you.
When you purchase a ticket to join our clothes swap, you will be directly investing in the lives of Timorese youth - helping to achieve real and sustainable change.
We know that with your support, and love for clothes swaps, we could really make a strong contribution to empowering East Timorese youth and helping to make their poverty history.

Questions?

Leave us a comment. Shoot us an email. Tweet your heart out.
We want to hear them!

Our email: swaptilyoudrop09@gmail.com.

Intrigued about Oaktree?
Check out the official website: http://www.theoaktree.org/


Keep swapping,

Amritha, Anna, Felicity & Monique.

Co-Coordinators of ‘Swap Til You Drop 2009: Supporting Timor-Leste’s Youth Livelihood Program’.