annual report 2016-2017 - auckland malayali samajam ... · go. the festivities had different levels...

1ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17AUCKLAND MALAYALI SAMAJAM

ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

17th April 2017

2 ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 AUCKLAND MALAYALI SAMAJAM

ABOUT THIS REPORTOur Annual Report provides an overview of the works of the Auckland Malayali Samajam from April 2016 – April 2017. The Report covers all the important works and activities of the Auckland Malayali Samajam carried out for the Kerala community by the Executive Committee, during the year 2016-17. Financial figures are also provided for the current year.


Auckland Malayali Samajam was established with the aim of bringing together all the Malayalis of Auckland to foster contacts, friendship and understanding to the extent possible for the well-being of the Malayali community as well as that of the New Zealand society.Through meticulously organised cultural, social, educational and sporting activities Auckland Malayali Samajam adds value to society thereby achieving high level of social interaction and social awareness in the community.For the younger generation, we pass on the cultural heritage, tradition, the rarely cherished legacy and values while they are integrating in to the New Zealand culture.We celebrate social and religious festivals traditionally celebrated in our home land to keep alive our strong bond with Kerala. We link people, culture and values in this Rainbow Nation of New Zealand where a well-knit multi-ethnic community live harmoniously.

Our PurposeThe aim of the Samajam is to promote, preserve and nurture the special culture and linguistic heritage of the Malayalees and to foster contacts and friendship among the Malayalees in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand and enrich the diverse cultural fabric of New Zealand with the best Malayalee traditions.

Our MissionOur mission is to further promote the interests of our organization and our members to the community. We strive to make a difference by educating the public and expanding our reach.The Samajam is steered by an Executive Committee elected every year by the Auckland Malayali community to implement activities contained in the Purpose and Vision of the organization.

ABOUT AUCKLAND MALAYALI SAMAJAM

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Joseph Devasia - PresidentAnil Joseph - Vice PresidentMurali Kumar - Secretary Benny Jacob - Joint SecretaryVenu Nair - TreasurerNijeeya Renju - MemberAlex Makil - MemberMary Smitha - MemberSebastian Joseph - MemberJulie Ithapiri - MemberGeo Varghese - Area RepresentativeHinze Joy - Area RepresentativeThomas Joseph - Area RepresentativeBlessan M Jose - Area RepresentativeSajan Kurian - Area Representative

THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee extends its thanks to Mr. Venugopal Nair who has done a wonderful job as the internal auditor of our accounts.

Change of RoleThe Executive Committee decided to change the role of Mr Benny Jacob from Joint Secretary to Secretary from October 2016, due to Mr Murali Kumar’s inconvenience to attend to Samajam activities in the capacity as Secretary, due to his personal commitments.


The Executive Committee finds its pride in co-ordinating a variety of programmes for the community during the year.

Independence DayThis year’s Independency Day was celebrated on 13th August 2016, Saturday at Royal Oak Intermediate School. The chief guest of the day was Mrs. Paramjeet Parmar, MP. The Samajam President Joseph Devasia hoisted the National flag and all Executive members and the Samajam members saluted the flag and sang the National Anthem. The Independence Day message was delivered by Dr. Paulose Thekanath. He underlined the need for being an Indian wherever we are and whatever types of lives we are leading.

OnamOn 10th September 2016 Saturday, we celebrated Ponnonam-2016, which was a unique experience for all Malayalis in Auckland. Mahatma Gandhi Centre witnessed the largest Malayali crowd Auckland has

ever had. Each Malayali is proud of the colour, food, exclusive arts and cultural heritage that he/she carries in mind and takes to wherever they go. The festivities had different levels of presentation, some of which were the following:

Onasadya Aranmula valla sadya fame Shri Kalavoor Sasidharan Nair was the Chef de cuisine of Ponnona Sadya 2016. Under his expert guidance, a 24 side-dish Onasadya was prepared and served on banana leaf in the traditional way to more than 1600 people. The Executive Committee extends its gratitude to Shri. Sasidharan Nair and Mr. Simmy George and all other volunteers who assisted Shri Sasidharan Nair in cooking as well as serving the food..

Auckland Malayali Artist’s presentationThe non-stop cultural presentation by the Auckland Malayalis for about four hours was so excellent and exciting that the spectators were enchanted by it. We thank all the artists and all those who worked behind the scenes to put up such a wonderful cultural feast.

FESTIVALS

OUR YEAR (2016-17)

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AthapookkalamThe Athapookkalam at the entrance was so amazing that it aroused the feeling of real Onam here in Auckland, though we are far away from our homeland. Special thanks to Mrs. Binu Vishnu for her dedication in presenting this great work of art.

Indigenous Arts The Sinkari Melam by TIDE BAND (The Indian Drum Ensemble), Palmerston North and the Pulikali by the Youth wing were amazing. Congratulations and thanks to all artists who spent their time and energy for amusing the audience.

Kerala Cine-Artists presentationAnother special feature of Ponnonam-2016 was the performance of guest cine-artists from Kerala. Playback singers Najim and Gayathri performed a melodious Ganamela, combined with the mimicry performance by Tiny Tom, cine-actor and mimicry artist captivated audience attention for a long time.

Public meetingThe public meeting on the Ponnanam day was chaired by the Samajam President Mr. Joseph Devasia. The chief guest of the day was Hon. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Minister for Ethnic communities. Members of Parliament, Phill Goff, Bakshi, Paramjeet etc. spoke on the occasion. Many dignitaries from different walks of life turned up to be guests of the day. The Samajam Executive wholeheartedly congratulate all Malayalis who were so attentive and disciplined throughout the meeting and thank all the guests who graced the occasion with their valuable presence.

KeralappiraviThe Keralappiravi was celebrated as the Community Sports Day on 19th November 2016 Saturday. The venue of the programme was War

Memorial Park, Mount Roskill. The event was conducted in collaboration with YMCA Lynnfield, Owairaka Athletics Club and Puketāpapa Local Board.

ChristmasThe Christmas was celebrated by the Samajam members on 17th December 2016 at Auckland Normal Intermediate School. Christmas tree, Crib, carol singing, Santa Claus and Christmas cake were the highlights of this year. Rev Fr Joe McKay delivered the Christmas message. The programmes ended with a delicious Christmas Dinner.

Vishu & EasterThis year’s Vishu, Easter & the Annual General Meeting are being held together today, 17th April 2017, Monday. The cultural presentations, Easter & Vishu message, the Annual General Meeting and a delicious dinner are in the agenda for the great day. Our heartfelt thanks to all Samajam members who have dedicated their valuable time to come here and made this day great.


SPORTS & GAMESBadmintonThis year’s Badminton Tournament known as SMASH-2016 was conducted on 2nd July 2016. The tournament was unique with unprecedented number of participants turning up to play from different parts of Auckland. Matches were conducted in Men’s singles, Men’s doubles, Mixed doubles, Under 17 boys singles, Under 17 boy’s doubles and Under 13 categories. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all participants. Special thanks to Venu Nair and Anil Joseph for organizing the event in a flawless manner.

Soccer 2017The Football tournament, Soccer-2017, was conducted at Papakura Army Fields on 18th March 2017. Professionally organized and well played tournament attracted the attention of all sports lovers. First prize carried $500 cash prize and the ever-rolling trophy while the second prize winner received $250 and the ever-rolling trophy. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, M.P. distributed prizes to the winners. AMS Executive thanks Mathew P Jacob and Mr Sajan Kurian for conducting the event in the best possible manner.

VolleyballsPike-2016, the prestigious Volleyball tournament was conducted on 8th October 2016 at Sir Jordan Recreation Centre, Onehunga. Five teams

participated in the tournament and the winners were awarded cash prizes and the trophies.

Sports dayKeralappiravi was celebrated as Community Sports Day on 19th November 2016 Saturday at War Memorial Park, Mount Roskill. The main events of the day were 100-metre dash, 200 metres, 400 metres and the Relay races. The chief throw item was Shot Put. Besides the sprint, throw and games items, several fun games also were conducted on the day. The little drizzle that grazed throughout the day couldn’t dampen the spirits of the proud athletes.

Vadamvali (Tug of War)The tug of war competition is a much enjoyable sports-cum-fun event for every Malayali. This year the Vadamvali was organized on 10th September 2016 as part of the Onam celebrations in front of the Mahatma Gandhi auditorium. Various teams from Auckland and Whangrei presented a breath-taking performance to thousands of spectators. Vadamvali was both a sport as well as a cultural event. Thanks and congratulations to all the participating teams.


SPORTS DAY


SOCCER DAY


PONNONAM - 2016


KalolsavamAuckland Malayali Samajam has always been an active platform to showcase the best of highly talented youngsters in our community. This year, Samajam organized the Kalolsavam on two days, 23rd July and 13 August 2016. On July 23rd, the first day 23 stage items were conducted in three categories (Sub-Junior, Junior and Senior). Dance, Music, Recitation, Instrumental music. Mimicry, Mono act etc. were a few of the items that drew appreciation from the audience.

The Kalapratibha and Kalathilakam winners are:

The awards in each category were given away on the Onam celebration day.

Onam Cultural showPonnonam-2016 served almost all the traditional and modern items like, all dance forms, skit, Ganamela, mimicry, pulikali, sinkarimelam, chendamelam and many more to the Auckland Malayalis.

Christmas Santa’s visit, the Nativity scene and Carol singing were some of the cultural items presented on the Christmas celebration day. The presentations kindled the hearts of all Malayalis and created the feeling of Christmas all around.

Community DayThe community day on 25th February 2017 was marked with indoor entertainments like Card games, Chess, Carroms and the Sangeetha Sandhya. Everyone enjoyed the programmesSangeethasandhya, the music night, organized as a part of the community fun day on February 25th was a real crowd puller. The singers mesmerized the audience with melodies from different languages. The wide range of songs chosen by the artists, appealed to the young as well as the old generations equally.

Yoga WorkshopA Yoga workshop was conducted for the Malayali community on 11th February 2017. Special thanks to Dr Smitha for running the workshop.

DarpanamThe Samajam annual magazine, Darpanam-2016 was published on the Ponnonam celebration day in the finest manner. The magazine contains poems, stories, articles and other pieces of literature contributed by the Malayali community members. The Executive Committee extends its special thanks to Mr Benny Jacob, the Chief Editor, the Editorial Board and Mr Shine, the designer for bringing out such an exceptional piece of literary display.

Kalolsavam Literary CompetitionsPoetry, Essay writing and story writing both in English and Malayalam languages for Sub-Juniors, Juniors and Senior categories were conducted on 13th August 2016, the second day of the Kalolsavam. Drawing and painting competitions also were also conducted along with it.

LITERARY

CULTURAL

Category Title Name

Senior

Junior

Sub Junior

Kalathilakam Juliat Kottackal Sebastian

Kalathilakam Jeny Mary Joseph

Kalathilakam Ayesha Joby

Kalaprathibha Keith Collin Renju

Kalaprathibha None qualified

Kalaprathibha Jayden Mani Jacob


OBITUARIESIt was very sad for the entire Auckland Malayali community that God, the creator called three of its dear ones back to His abode during the year.

AldrichThe entire New Zealand and people abroad were shocked by the accidental death of our “Little Angel” Aldrich on 18th November 2016 Friday. Thousands of people paid their homage to the departed little angel before the mortal remains were taken to Kerala.

JismolJismol Joseph (34) went to the heavenly Father on 1 November 2016. Jismol was survived by her husband Joshy, two children and her brother Jeemon. A befitting farewell was given to Jismol by the Auckland Malayali community.

Mary CorrayMrs. Mary Corray (77) died on 29th may 2016. Late Mrs. Mary is the mother of Lesley & Bennett Corray living in West Auckland & Sheeba Corray who lives in Melbourne. The mortal remains were laid to rest at Waikumete cemetery, Auckland on 1st June 2016.

The Samajam Executive expresses its heart-felt condolences to the bereaved families of Aldrichmon Jismol, and Mary Corray. May their souls Rest In Peace.


COMMUNITY DAY

CHARITY DINNER


CHARITYAuckland City Mission Charity DinnerUnder the leadership of the Auckland Malayali Samajam, a charity dinner was organised at the Auckland City Mission on 12th March 2017, serving food for about 200 poor people. Poverty is a reality in Auckland and AMS initiated a good gesture to address this issue. Special thanks to Mr Biju Kuzhikkadan for cooking the food, all volunteers who served the food and generous minds that contributed towards the noble cause. Christmas Emergency Food collection

Emergency Food collection was part of the Christmas celebrations-2016. The collected food on that day and other contributions received afterwards were taken to Auckland City Mission on 12th February 2017 and handed over to the City Mission authorities. Thanks to all those who have contributed towards the act of charity.

Jismol FundTo meet the costs involved in taking the mortal remains of Jismol to India, Samajam appealed to the community for financial support and within two days, the required amount could be raised. The solidarity and generosity of Malayalis are praiseworthy.

Aldrich FundAldrich Fund was aimed at supporting the family in their distress, after the unexpected death of their dearest Aldrich angel. Once again all generous Malayalis joined their hands in supporting the cause. Thanks to everyone who expressed their love towards the little angel and contributed to the Fund.


Liaising with the New Zealand government was one of the main goals of the current Executive Committee as announced in the last General Body Meeting. Accordingly, many activities were conducted to foster relationship between the government and the community.

Visit to the Prime MinisterThe Executive Committee members visited the Prime Minster John Key on 28th September 2016 and held discussions with him and his cabinet colleagues about various welfare measures to be adopted for the Malayali community in New Zealand.

Language LineThe Malayalam Language Recognition Project (known as MALAR Project), to get Malayalam recognised as an official language in New Zealand found its heights when the Ministry of Ethnic Communities approved in principle the application for recognition.The department is looking for qualified interpreters to issue a formal decree of approval which we expect by June 2017.

Meeting the MinistersThe President and the Executive Committee members met several cabinet ministers on different occasions to present the community’s needs and demands. They include Bill English, Peseta Samuelu Masunu,

Judith Collins, Maggie Barry and Alfred Ngaro.

High Commission of IndiaThe current year witnessed a good liaising with our High Commission in Wellington. The Samajam extends its special thanks to Mr. Sanjiv Kohli, the High Commissioner for extending his helping hands to any of our needs at any time including holidays. The speedy paper works completed on occasions of the unexpected deaths occurred to our community members and other help and support received, including financials, from the High Commission office is highly commendable. The High Commission paid $6200 towards the cost of taking home Aldrich’s mortal remains, which was a huge help for Samajam

LIAISING WITH THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT & THE INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION

Dr C S Benjamin, famous cancer specialist and the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016 inductee was honoured on the Ponnonam-2016 day for his meritorious service to the people in the South Pacific. Dr. Benjamin is our community member and is a pride of every Malayali in New Zealand.

HONOURING THE ACHIEVEMENT


YOUTH FESTIVAL


Language LineThe efforts for our Malayalam language recognition came to a success when Language Line, under the Ministry for Ethnic Communities officially informed that it has approved Malayalam language in principle in December 2016.

The Language Line is looking for qualified Malayalam interpreters both in New Zealand and Australia before issuing a formal order approving the Malayalam language. It opens many opportunities for Malayalis as interpreters in all government departments initially and later, in Schools and Universities.

We specially thank all those who are undergoing the Interpretation course at various education providers.

Onam in New Zealand ParliamentThe government has decided to celebrate Onam in Parliament from 2017 onwards. The first Onam celebrations in Parliament will be on 9th August 2017. This is one of the greatest achievements of Auckland Malayali Samajam this year.

Our ministers, parliamentarians, the media and the wider public of New Zealand will know more about our culture, our language and our great contributions to this country. Moreover, it is a recognition for the Malayali culture by the New Zealand Government.

Community Leader’s meetingA meeting of the leaders of various Malayali cultural organizations, religious representatives and persons of social standing in Auckland was convened on 29th October 2016 at Anglican Church Hall, Royal Oak. The meeting discussed various means to get our great Malayalam language approved as one of the officially accepted languages in New Zealand. AMS Executive thanks all leaders who attended the meeting and contributed to the discussions.

Social interventions & the mediaWhen our little angel Aldrich died, Auckland Malayali Samajam intervened effectively in making authorities responsible for protecting our children from all dangers at our kindergartens and at other schools. The media supported our cause by sharing our concerns and urging the government and to take appropriate action to ensure safety of our kids at educational institutions.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS

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BADMINTON DAY


Independence Day


Malayalam languageAuckland Malayali Samajam intends to take the on-going interaction with the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs to promote the use of Malayalam language in various fields like, public libraries, schools and universities that will open large job opportunities for those who are qualified in Malayalam language.

Make the community involved in a wider spectrumWe are not an island. We would like to make our presence in the New Zealand society on a wider scale. Various plans are on the anvil, getting shaped to materialise this dream of making Malayali proud in the New Zealand community

FUTURE PLANS

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Auckland Malayali Samajam Inc.Income and Expenditure Statement for the year ended 31 March 2017

Item No Particulars Expenditure Income

2017 2017

1 Badminton $2,658.00 Badminton $2,722.50 2 Kalolsavam $3,614.95 Kalolsavam $506.00 3 Onam Celebrations $25,439.95 Onam Celebrations $14,450.00 4 Bank charges $572.66 Membership $32,719.00 5 Darpanam $5,250.00 Kerala Piravi Sports day $470.00 6 Kerala Piravi Sports day $420.80 Community day and Music Night $1,255.00 7 Xmas Celebrations $7,243.91 Bereavement Doantion $12,830.00 8 Volleyball Expenses $1,543.71 Soccer $850.00 9 Community day and Music Night $933.25 Interest Income $6.85 10 Soccer $1,100.00 Net Defecit $911.99 11 Administrative Expenses $1,066.91 12 AGM Expenses - 16 $4,047.20 13 Bereavement Donation $12,830.00 $66,721.34 $66,721.34


Particulars Liabilities Assets

2017 2017

Net Assets as per Previous Statements $21,122.23 Trade Debtors $3,670.00 Creditors $2,088.50 Advance with MG Centre $1,000.00 Net Deficit -$911.99 Balance at Bank - Current Account $1,597.00 Balance at Bank - Savings $16,031.74

$22,298.74 $22,298.74

Auckland Malayali Samajam Inc.Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2017

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CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION


Presiding OfficerAuckland Malayali Samajam expresses its sincere gratitude to Dr Michael Manjalloor for acting as Presiding Officer and completing the election process for the year 2017-18 in a commendable manner.

SponsorsFinancial support is vital to the smooth functioning of any organisation. Auckland Malayali Samajam is extremely thankful to all sponsors who joined hands with the organisation in its journey towards greater heights.

1. Alpha Life Insurance 2. Ayurveda Jyoti Ltd3. Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd4. BNZ Bank Ltd 5. Dr Parmjeet Parmer, National List MP6. Eco Travels Ltd 7. Five star Printers 8. Future Print & DJ Dave9. George Abraham- Harcourt 10. Glad king 11. Global Remittance12. Hygrade Motors Ltd13. International Travel Ltd

14. Kairali Restaurant15. Kanwaljit Bakshi National Party MP16. Kuldeep Singh – Harcourts17. Kuzhikkadan’s Kitchen18. Kwality Mini Bazaar19. Lloyd Vivera- immigration lawyer 20. Mount Albert Orthodontics21. Mt Roskill accountant and Indigo finance 22. National Cars Ltd.23. NZ Mobiles24. NZ Labour party 25. OPM Insurance Ltd26. Otex International27. Patel & associates28. Ray white – Elizabeth Mohanraj29. Relianz Travel Ltd30. Right Cover Insurance 31. Shivani Restaurant 32. SKS Electricals33. Travelogue Ltd34. U travel International Ltd 35. Unitac Builders 36. V J Associates Ltd37. Veda Accounting and Taxation

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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This was a year that marked a shift on focus for Auckland Malayali Samajam. The shift was mainly at two levels. First, the current Executive Committee followed all traditional elements, practices and celebrations but with a different approach. Onam celebrations, Kalolsavam etc. are few examples to cite. Secondly, we started several projects that will make the Malayalis more respected and valued in the New Zealand society. Liaising with the government, Language Line involvement, Onam in Parliament, Media attention etc. demonstrate this innovative aspect.As C. JoyBell says, “Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending.” This Executive Committee’s tasks come to an end now. But our Samajam and its activities are never-ending. The new committee will begin again in

a new way. Let us come together, dream together and work together. Let us cherish our culture. Let we, the Malayali community, be a group of people being proud of our cultural identity and richness. Let us join hands together to become one Family, one Language and one Group-ഒരു കുടുംബം ഒരു ഭാഷ ഒരു സമാജം. Auckland Malayali Samajam

Wishing you all a very Happy Vishu and Easter!

Thanks & RegardsBenny JacobSecretary.

CONCLUSION

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annual report 2016-2017 - auckland malayali samajam ... · go. the festivities had different levels...

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