BANTU Philippines recently completed a three-week trip in Sydney and Melbourne, highlighting the power of Capoeira as an instrument for human development and fostering stronger connections between Filipino and Australian communities.
In Sydney, BANTU founder and director, Jaime Benedicto and BANTU youth educator Mark Berdote attended the 15th International Capoeira Angola Youth Encounter, uniting teachers and students from across New South Wales in a celebration of Afro-Brazilian culture, discipline, and community spirit.
The duo also participated in workshops led by Brazilian Capoeira master Mestre Jogo de Dentro, and collaborated with ECAMAR Sydney and other Capoeira groups, deepening their technical practice and cross-cultural exchange. They also facilitated classes for refugee-background youth in four Intensive English Centre (IEC) schools in Sydney and Wollongong.
With the support of Street University Mt. Druitt, they also took the opportunity to explore innovative models of youth engagement that could be adapted to support CASA BANTU programs in Manila, which serve underprivileged children and adolescents.
BANTU also partnered with the Filipino Student Council of New South Wales (FSNSW) to host Tulong Sigla, a benefit event raising funds for youth programs in the Philippines.
During the Melbourne leg of the trip, the group met with Consul General Gary Domingo to discuss future initiatives in cultural diplomacy and youth development. The visit also saw the establishment of new relationships with the Filipino-Australian Student Council of Victoria (FASTCO) and the Melbourne University Filipino Student Association.
Throughout their visit, BANTU reconnected with key Filipino-Australian donors and gained new regular supporters from the Filipino and Capoeira communities.
Fundraising events held with Capoeira groups in Sydney and Melbourne helped sustain BANTU’s grassroots initiatives in Manila. The team also joined a poetry night hosted by Slamtidote in Brunswick, where they shared stories from the children of CASA BANTU and showcased handcrafted items made by the kids themselves.
The Australian trip exemplified how culture, sport, and community collaboration can drive social transformation. Plans are now underway to expand BANTU’s youth programs and establish more cross-country exchanges that build bridges of solidarity and empowerment.
BANTU Philippines is a social enterprise and community-based organisation that uses Capoeira Angola—an Afro-Brazilian martial art that blends movement, music, and philosophy—as a tool for human development, education, and empowerment.
Through its flagship youth centre, CASA BANTU, based in Manila, the organisation provides holistic programs for underprivileged and at-risk young people, combining physical training, arts, cultural learning, and life skills.
Founded on the belief that “movement creates change”, BANTU continues to build bridges between communities in the Philippines and around the world—promoting inclusion, creativity, and resilience through culture and collaboration.
For more information and to support BANTU by becoming a volunteer or a partner or to donate, visit https://projectbantu.org.ph/
