A Visit to YMCA of Indonesia:
To explore possibility of revitalizing YMCA

The YMCA of Indonesia has promoted many great and meaningful activities for the youth and the communities in the past. But along the way, it encountered many challenges which unfortunately, were not addressed effectively. Thus, the movement went temporarily into hiatus, although some of the other local YMCAs remained operating by continuously conducting simple programs for the youth.

Through the effort of the APAY, a Partner Support Group (PSG) was created to help revitalize the YMCA. For more than ten years, the PSG helped sustain the work of the YMCA of Indonesia and assisted them in transcending their difficult situation. Yet, even with the enormous support, they were not able to grow, confront their challenges and take-off the ground. The APAY, however still believes in the capacity and potential of the movement to regenerate. Thus, it continues to help in strengthening and building it up through various ways.

On January 17-23, APAY MS Coordinator Thelma Juntereal visited YMCA of Indonesia meeting its National General Secretary, Retha Andoea and some other YMCA friends/partners and members as well as visiting Kampung Sawah province. She had a fruitful meeting with one of the members of the National Board, Rev. Krise Gosal discussing and sharing with her some YMCA concerns like the need for the regular conduct of board meetings, the very important role of the Board in the YMCA and other challenges that the Board needs to urgently deal with and find some probable solution. In Kampung Sawah province, where the YMCA Ecological Youth Camp sponsored by the APAY was held last year in partnership with the Gereja Kristen Pasundan (GKP) Church, a meeting with the church leaders was also done. The possibility of continued partnership in some undertakings and programs was warmly received by the church leaders. They are eagerly anticipating more enriching and relevant joint efforts with the YMCA. Another group that NGS Retha introduced was the English Fun Club, which was initiated by the YMCA. Basically, the club help the members enhance their English speaking skills and fluency by sharing some events in life, promote friendship and camaraderie. Some of its members are YMCA volunteers. She keeps nurturing and giving her time to the group seeing them as potential YMCA partners and members.

↑ NGS Retha Andoea and Ms Coordinator Thelma Juntereal in a meeting with Rev. Krise Gosal, one of the members of the National Board of the YMCA of Indonesia	↑ Meeting with the leaders of Gereja Kristen Pasundan (GKP) Church in Kampung Sawah Province

In the one-on-one meeting with NGS Retha, an exchange of ideas on the important matters that need to be acted on in order to strengthen and revitalize the Indonesian YMCA was taken up. Among others, these pertain to governance/ leadership, the review/ amendment of the YMCA By-Laws, the operation of the local YMCAs , membership development, finances and some other related matters.

Making YMCA of Indonesia active and very much alive again is not far-fetched. As long as the YMCA leadership and its stakeholders will genuinely address its on-going challenges and improve its image in the community, they will still develop to be a robust YMCA.

- Thelma P. Juntereal, MS Coordinator

A Final Evaluation Meeting on Tapacon DRR Project held in Manila

After more than two years’ implementation of the post-Yolanda typhoon DRR Project in Tapacon brgy, Bingawan, Iloilo, Philippines, a partner’s meeting was conducted with a view to evaluating the achievement of the project and to capturing the lessons to be learned through the process of the implementation. Another attention was given to drawing some recommendations for future sustainability. Among the participants were Dr. Ramona Morales, President of YPhil, NGS Mr. Pablito Tabucol, Prof. Elmer Ferrer, Advisory Committee member of YPhil, Mr. Blando, GS of Iloilo YMCA, Ms. Meghna Manaktala, DRR Advisor of YCI, Mr. Nam Boo-Won, GS of APAY, and Ms. Eloisa Borreo, the Project Coordinator.

Ms. Eloisa Borreo provided the highlights of major processes, achievement and accomplishment related to the said project. This project was coordinated by APAY with the YPhil, with fund support from Y Care International and German YMCA. She showed that the target beneficiaries and project components were achieved but with a few components not implemented since they were no longer feasible. These were substituted with other components that were identified as meeting the needs of the people, thus the funds were realigned to such programs. Following her presentation, Prof. Elmer Ferrer shared a brief summary on the YMCA Philippines Tapacon audit report and its findings. He also shared some impressions and raised some questions regarding the process of project implementation e.g. site selection, partner selection, identification of issues to be addressed, mobilization and training of local partners, selection of participants in training and beneficiaries of services/decision-making, monitoring and evaluation.

While appreciating the achievements of the project so far, very frank and open questions and discussions were made among the partners. The areas of discussion were: weakness in organizational structure design and the unclear division of roles & cooperation plan between stakeholders/partners; communication gaps between different role-players throughout the project implementation course; the sustainability of the Tapacon project to be sustained as a self-reliant community-based organization serving the people there; the need to evaluate the whole project according to the stated development framework i.e. productivity, equity, sustainability, empowerment and gender justice. Ms. Meghna Manaktala from YCI also observed that apart from the strengthened disaster resilience and preparedness, the biggest achievement of the project, from the funding partner’s view, is to enable young people in the community to get employment by connecting them with a nationally accredited vocational training. Towards the end of the meeting, there was a common acknowledgement of a belief that communities have “self-organizing” capacities, which is without denying the role of the external partners and development professionals. Thus, the core lesson we need to learn together is “how the community tried to assist itself and overcome challenges with the assistance of external development professionals i.e. what factors facilitated or hindered this partnership to enhance the livelihood and resilience of the affected community”. There were also reports and evaluations on the financial part of the project. All the financial figures were reviewed thoroughly by Ms. Imelda Ramos, internal auditor of YPhil. Several findings were acknowledged by related parties, and it was decided that the auditor, Ms. Imelda Ramos, will, together with the project manager, study and review the findings to rectify the discrepancies on the income and expenses.

↑ Tapacon DRR Project final evaluation meeting at YPhil office on 10th Jan 2017	↑ Program and Property turnover ceremony in Tapacon

Over all, the meeting enabled to identify several crucial lessons to be learnt for planning and implementing similar kind of the project in the future. Towards the end of the meeting, Dr. Morales, President of YPhil, suggested to Mr. Blando, GS of Iloilo YMCA to discuss with his board of the possibility to take over the Tapacon project so that the outcome of the project so far could be well sustained in such a way that it continue to serve the community and its people. One quote from a beneficiary demonstrates the significance of the sustainability: “Before the training, she was very shy and into herself. Now she knows how to deal and interact with other people. Before the project, she only used to help me on the farm and cleaning the house. Now she works in a restaurant in Iloilo City. She didn’t respect me so much before the project: she has learned how to deal with people and our relationship is stronger. She knows how to respect the rights of others and looks after the welfare of others.” – Female mother of Vocational Training beneficiary. (from an on-spot evaluation report by Meghna Manaktala, YCI). Finally, APAY acknowledges with gratitude Ms. Eloisa Borreo’s commitment to Tapacon DRR project for the past two years.

~ Nam Boo Won, GS, APAY

YMCA Peace Day 2016:
Sowed good deeds and set Guinness World Record in Hong Kong

Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong is devoted in serving the local and global communities for the past 115 years, with dedication in bringing people together and advocate for a culture of peace. Since 2007, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong has been running “A Culture of Peace” Campaign in engaging the general public in Hong Kong with different activities and events, to promote a harmonious society and a culture of respect and understandings. This is also in solidarity support to the World Alliance of YMCAs’ annual Peace Day initiative.

On 20 November this year, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong organized the “Step Up For Love Charity Hunt” event as part of the campaign. Over 500 YMCA members went on a charity orienteering mission across different districts in Hong Kong to complete four different tasks with the aim in discovering the unique charm of the city which people often overlook in their daily lives. Each group of participant had to conduct an act of service as part of their orienteering requirements; together with the funds raised by the participants and the donation made by the Y’s Men International Hong Kong District. This event has raised approximately USD$8,500 in support for providing hot meals for the underprivileged elderly people in Hong Kong.

At the finishing point of the event, all participants gathered outside the Bridges Street Centre which is one of the heritage buildings in Hong Kong built in 1918 and the oldest service unit of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong. The collective efforts made by 528 YMCA members successfully set a new Guinness World Record for the “most people making hand shape dove gesture”. It is a signified gesture and message of peace expressed by Hong Kong people on the YMCA Peace Day 2016.

“A Culture of Peace” Campaign is moving forward to the first decade of action and advocacy, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong will continue its commitment in educating peace and raising the public awareness on the importance of social stability and contemplate on “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace”. (James 3:18)

Photos: http://www.ymca.org.hk/en/content/step-love

YMCA Japan appoints new National General Secretary

YMCA Japan is pleased to announce that the Board of YMCA Japan have appointed Mr. Seiichi Kanzaki as the new National General Secretary of Japan, effective 1 April 2017. He succeeds Mr. Shigeru Shimada.

Mr. Kanzaki has been working for the YMCA since 1981. He worked diligently at the Kyoto YMCA for 36 years, serving as General Secretary from 2003 to 2017. He has been very active in various different fields at the national level such as school education, outdoor education, and in the Ecumenical Movement, representing both Kyoto and the National YMCA. He has also been an important leader of the national YMCA, chairing the General Secretaries’ Meetings and participating as a YMCA National Board Member.

APAY, together with Japan YMCA, would also like to show our appreciation to Mr. Shigeru Shimada for his 8 years of dedicated work as NGS. He will return to his hometown Toyama to enjoy his beloved hobby of fishing, and to contribute his time and effort to the local community.

New General Secretary of the YMCA of Taiwan

The board of the YMCA of Taiwan has appointed Mr. James Tou, the General Secretary of the Taipei YMCA, as its new General Secretary, effective from April 1, 2017.

Mr. James Tou started his YMCA career as a Program Secretary of the Taipei YMCA in 1987, experienced in camping program, social services program, membership, administration, and hospitality services for over 27 years. Before that, he served as a volunteer camp counselor of the Taipei YMCA for three years when he was a university student. He succeeded Mr. David Lee as the General Secretary of the Taipei YMCA in March 2015.

Mr. James Tou earned his PhD in Management from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and his MBA degree from the National Chengchi University.

APAY Youth Intern

A warm welcome to Ms. Karren Fetalvero who has been appointd as APAY Youth Intern. Karren, who will join the APAY in January 2017, was formerly program coordinator at the Makati YMCA in the Philippines. She was actively engaged in her local YMCA and the NCY Philippines as a Youth Leader.

Karren studied Foreign Service, majorig in Diplomacy, at the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila.

As Youth Intern, Karren's major responsibility will be to help with work related to the focus area of Global Alternatiev Tourism Network. She will assist in planning and implementing programs of GATN and to coordinate the e-Learning program on Climate Change.

The Late Padma Shri K.M. Philip

Celebrated centenarian, Padma Shri K.M. Philip, breathed his last in the early hours of Wednesday, January 11, 2017 in Chennai. An iconic figure of the World YMCA Movement of the ‘70s, philanthropist, social activist and industrialist and specialist in the Indian rubber industry.

He was a doyen among YMCA stalwarts of his time who led not only the Indian National Movement but also the World Alliance with a dynamic leadership which was the envy of all. An incredibly gifted person of whom posterity would eulogize in the words of Indian YMCA historian, Dr. M. D. David, way back in the '70s, that the "retirement of K M Philip as the National President brought a dynamic era in the Indian YMCA to a close.

Born in 1912 into a Syrian Orthodox Christian family, "KM", as he was fondly remembered in the YMCA circle, was the sixth of eight sons, each one an industrialist, of the pioneer of Kerala's plantation industry, "one of the first to understand the potential for development of industry in post-war India".

Mr. Philip was one of the recipients of Padma Shri a national award from the Government of India for his contributions to `Malayala Manorama’ and other fields.

The World YMCA historian, Clyde Binfield, had probably paid the best tribute for the late K M Philip when he said: "Here was a man who had played his part in promoting Indian nationalism as well as Indian capitalism". The late K M Philip was National President for 16 years between 1969 to 1985, the longest for any President in the history of the Indian YMCA. It was at the famous 22nd National Triennial Convention in Alwaye in 1973 that he expounded the "vision of our position in the community life of our country" committing the Indian YMCA Movement to the 11-point Programme enunciated in the 'Vision of the '70s' to his credit, the late K M Philip became the first Asian to become the President of the World Alliance of YMCAs when first he was elected as Vice-President in 1973, perforce prematurely, he was to succeed the then World Y President, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Endalkachew Makannen, which office he held between 1975 and 1977.

The biggest achievement of his era as National President was the rallying cry to the entire YMCA Movement for the setting up of 1000 new YMCAs with a fresh boost to rural YMCAs which formed the back-bone of the Indian YMCA Movement from its inception.

Till the end he was the towering figure of the Indian YMCA Movement. On his centenary he was felicitated by the Indian YMCA Movement along with several other organizations of which he was an active part.

He will remain forever in our memory as the enigmatic figure he was in his life time. The best tribute we can pay him is to follow the path he has trodden in his pilgrimage of faith as a true Karma yogi or man of action.

We remember Late Dr. Robert Loh

Dr. Robert Loh Choo Kiat, the past president of YMCA of Singapore, breathed his last on 31st January 2017. He was the longest serving President of YMCA of Singapore for 22 years from 1970 to 1992.

Dr. Loh became a Full member of YMCA after the World War II and was subsequently invited to stand for election to the Board in 1962 where he served for 49 years till his retirement in 2011.

During Dr. Loh’s tenure as President in the seventies to the early nineties, his contribution included changing the YMCA of Singapore Constitution to offer women full membership privileges in 1977 and setting up a Social Service Centre in Ang Mo Kio, a joint project with the Asian Women’s Welfare Association and the Singapore Anglican Welfare Council.

Following his retirement from the Board, Dr. Loh continued to support the YMCA’s various programmes by attending several major events and donating to support fundraising efforts.

The APAY mourns the loss of Dr. Robert Loh and remember him for his rich contribution to the YMCA of Singapore and YMCA movement of our region at large.

Program Schedule of ECM 2017: March 7-10, 2017