Buy an award, help grow a community.
When you purchase any of our handcrafted glass products, Noble Awards donates a significant percentage of the sale price to Noble Endeavours to assist in Building Sustainable Communities. Read Media Release
My Story
In January 2008 my wife Janice and I were speaking at a number of leadership conferences in the Philippines. Whilst in an isolated rural area on the island of Mindanao, Jan collapsed and was diagnosed with brain tumors. While in the hospital there, she spoke the following words to me “I am not afraid to die but I am afraid to live and not fulfill what is in my heart”. We had been visiting this region for more than 12 years and Jan and I were passionate about helping bring change to communities.
Jan’s next question was “What can we do now Ian? We cannot wait any longer”. In that room the vision that would become Noble Endeavours was born.
Jan lost her battle with cancer in March 2010 and in the last few months of her life she talked a lot about what legacy would remain after she had passed on and whether our efforts would continue to affect peoples lives for good after we have gone. Jan left this earth with the knowledge that what we had already started in the village of Sandongan Central Mindanao would continue to grow and prosper.
The Project
Noble Endeavours Project Sandongan – Central Mindanao Philippines
Located in the isolated rural area of the Central Mindanao region of the Philippines, Sandongan Village lies at the heart of a tribal community in great need.
Bamboo and rush huts line a rocky dirt road, made impassable by monsoonal rains. For years there has been no clean water, employment, health or dental care and limited educational opportunities.
Noble Endeavours has partnered with the local community to meet the pressing humanitarian needs of the area and to build sustainable opportunities for the region’s future.
In the past 2 years Noble Endeavours has established a school on 4 hectares of tribal land with 3 classes and 87 indigenous children receiving a free education and hot meal every day. We have provided a purified water system to provide clean water for over 1,000 people surrounding the school community and a regular health and dental program for the village.
Livelihood programs have been established with pigs, goats and training being provide to local villages for the establishment of small businesses. At the heart of this program has been the establishment of over 1000 rubber trees to provide employment and future funding for the school. To guarantee self-sufficiency for the school community a functioning piggery, fish farm, Permaculture vegetable gardens and maintenance a program to sustain the existing rubber plantation and orchards are in development.
Under construction is the Jan McKay Community Centre, comprising two extra classrooms, meeting hall, church, library, guest accommodation and a fully functioning health clinic. Despite the fact that the Community Centre is only 70% complete it has already become a focal point and vibrant centre for community life.
The Legacy
I was once asked to speak to a group of business people and realized there is only so much I can say about glass awards and gifts and so I decided to talk about “Why I am in business”. I have an opportunity to make a difference and be an agent for change in the communities I live and work in. Life just seems to make more sense when our dreams, visions and goals are bigger than us. By linking my business to growing sustainable communities I am already seeing amazing change in the village of Sandongan but also in the lives of the Australian volunteers and supporters that have rallied to support this project. I also get to see the ongoing affects of this program that my wife Jan passionately believed in gain momentum and keep affecting lives.
When you buy an award you really do help a community in great need become sustainable
YES YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! – in other ways as well. You can donate to Noble Endeavours or may wish to volunteer in some way. I am also available to speak to groups on the work of Noble Endeavours.
Call our office now on 02 43335766 or CLICK HERE to donate or for more information on Noble Endeavours.
Ian McKay
CEO Noble Rewards/Noble Endeavours
Accountability
Noble Endeavours is an Australian based organisation. Oversight and accountability of Noble Endeavours humanitarian projects is provided by Global Development Group, which is an Australian Government-approved NGO (Non Government Organisation) and is part of the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme.
Global Development Group monitors, evaluates and audits the work of Noble Endeavours and enables tax deductibility for donations to the humanitarian projects.
Donations over $2 to the approved Global Development Group Aid and Development Project J490 Noble Endeavours Philippines Trust are tax deductible in Australia.