Bronte Mum’s Charity Making Waves Across the Pacific

By Isabella Puentes on March 25, 2019 in News

Creating connections across continents, by Rob Gray.

Hannah More has always called the Eastern Beaches home. Born and raised in Bronte and now living in Maroubra, Hannah and her family are familiar faces in the east. Her cafe, The Bogey Hole, is iconic to Bronte and has played a large role in her history, being owned and run by her family for over 26 years. The cafe has become a hub for local residents and a welcoming place for the community.

A mother of four, Ms More and her family fostered a young boy named Sio Ratu in 2013. Sio was born in Fiji and the 15 year-old now has two families and two islands to call home.

Ms More spends her spare time raising awareness and fundraising for underprivileged communities in Fiji as well as working closer to home with Indigenous foster children in NSW. She organises fundraisers including Christmas in July at the Bogey Hole Cafe and fun run teams for events such as the SMH Half Marathon and the City2Surf, which give all members of the local community a chance to get involved. As a result, Bronte’s sense of community has extended across the seas.

“I wanted to create connections with Sio culturally and with his family, and to try to help them where we could,” Ms More said.
For this reason, the Sio Ratu Foundation was officially registered as a charity this year and the local community has already begun fundraising. The foundation aims to help children and their families in the remote villages of Fiji, and assist in providing basic needs such as electricity and school materials.

One of the foundation’s current projects is the provision of school packs and care packs for children in the villages. Packs will include items such as bamboo toothbrushes, sustainable hygiene products and basic schooling needs such as books and pencils. The foundation will also provide school and care packs to foster children in NSW.

“Children bounce around from home to home with a plastic bag and a few bits and pieces,” Ms More said. “This way they can own their care packs with items they need such as sleeping bags.”

Next January marks a big step for the foundation. A team will head to Fiji to install solar power to the Ratu family home. The solar power will provide electricity for daily necessities such as running fridges and charging phones.

Mark Devereux, a family friend and board member of the foundation, will join Ms More on the visit to Fiji next year. Ms More’s grandfather and Sio’s father played important roles in Mr Devereux’s upbringing, having been active members of the running club that Mark was a part of.

Now a professional plumber, Mr Devereux will organise the installation on site. He told The Beast that the panels will ensure everyday electrical usage, and the system will also “provide them at least five days of power” if weather conditions damage the panels.

Ms More will once again participate in the SMH Half Marathon to raise money for the foundation’s upcoming projects. This year’s race will be held in May and she hopes to get together a team of 50 sponsored runners.

“It’s not just about raising the money, it’s about creating that connection,” she said. “We want to open it up for the community and village here to be a part of something really special.”

To join Ms More, please email sioratufund@gmail.com or register at https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/RegistrationType.aspx?E=33092&G=82138.