mama earth | making a change for the better

alter: an after school arts program

“The arts, whether as formal therapy, community outreach or enrichment, do impact lives in positive, far-reaching ways.” -Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC

m.a.m.a. earth is a Los Angeles-based grassroots community organization, founded by Jaime Kailani Bayot – big sister to Grammy-award winner, Bruno Mars and 1/4 of new singing group, The Lylas. Our mission is to inspire others to give back in their own communities while raising awareness about issues that affect us all. 4mamaearth partners with schools, local and global non-profit organizations to present enrichment classes, hands-on workshops and fundraising events.

We are so excited to have launched our pilot program of ALTER: An Arts and Creative Writing After-School Program for grades 9-12 at Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles, created by artist and educator,Ronda Brown and Grammy-nominated poet and performer, Sonja Marie. The pilot program began this month and will run until the end of the school year in June.

Sufficient data exists to overwhelmingly support the belief that study and participation in the fine arts is a key component in improving learning throughout all academic areas. Evidence of its effectiveness in reducing student dropout, raising student attendance, developing better team players, fostering a love for learning, improving greater student dignity, enhancing student creativity, and producing a more prepared citizen for the workplace for tomorrow can be found documented in studies held in many varied settings, from school campuses, to corporate America.

Ronda Brown and Sonja Marie, creators of A.L.T.E.R youth arts program.

m.a.m.a. earth is helping to develop ALTER to establish much needed Arts Programs to underserved youth. The ALTER program will impart skills in both Visual and Language Arts that can literally alter the students’ trajectory for productive citizenry and livelihood. The students will complete the program with the building blocks necessary for turning their ideas into tangible pieces of work.

Participating student's in the launch of ALTER after school arts program at Crenshaw High School.

School districts rarely provide allocated funding for high school arts and after school programs and this is the case at Crenshaw High school and many other high schools in the low-income areas of South Los Angeles.  m.a.m.a. earth, as an organization, seeks to provide opportunities to champion Arts Education but we need the help of generous supporters, foundations and donors like you. We cannot afford to wait until public school budgets catch up with the needs of our youth. The time is now to invest in the futures of our at-risk and underserved youth.  ALTER has begun its pilot program at the Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles. Due to lack of after school funding, ALTER will need to be independently funded. This program will serve as one of the only visual arts after-school or extra-curricular opportunities for the students in that area.

Your kind and generous donations will provide ALTER students, grade 9-12, with:

• Credentialed and Professional Facilitators

• Materials for the projects (art supplies, printing)

• Field Trips (Working artist studio, museums and performances)

• Nutritious Snacks

We invite you to learn more about our proposed program and thank you in advance for your generous support in helping the global team that is m.a.m.a. earth create powerful partnerships to provide the necessary programs, skills and tools to ensure that all children have opportunities to succeed.

m.a.m.a. earth celebrates the many ways that we can make positive change in our communities around the world. As this week marks World Doula Week, we are celebrating the sentiment that it’s not just the making of babies, but the making of mothers that is the miracle of birth.

What is a doula? A Doula is a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth. The purpose of World Doula Week  is to empower doulas all over the world to improve the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of women, newborns and families in birth and in the postpartum period. World Doula Week events are taking place all over the world this week, celebrating the benefits of the presence of doulas in birth and in the postpartum period.

Did you know that the presence of a doula at childbirth reduces the incidence of c-section, may shorten the length of labor, reduces epidural and analgesic requests, increases breastfeeding initiation and continuation, reduces the incidence of postpartum mood disorders and increases a mother’s satisfaction with her birth experience?

The fact that the United States has a higher ratio of maternal deaths than at least 40 other countries, even though it spends more money per capita for maternity care than any other is more than enough reason to champion empowered birth and support expanding women’s choices in how they give birth.

  Javoni, a m.a.m.a. and Doula.

Since 2007, m.a.m.a. earth has been offering up easy ways for people to give to charitable causes and support issues that affect us all.

Enter stage left: Peaces of Love made by m.a.m.a. earth sister, artist, doula, designer and all around creative being, Javoni Karisma. (Fun fact: Javoni’s husband is Dwayne Dugger – the super-talented saxophonist in Bruno Mars’ band!) She produces these beautifully wearable kimono robes and if you order one now, a portion of proceeds will support Doulas of Love pay for a teen or single “low income” mother’s doula services.

  Want to learn more? Do yourself a favor and pick up one or ALL of Ina May Gaskin’s books. Ina May is a world-renowned midwife and women’s advocate who Gaskin asserts that the way in which women become mothers is a women’s rights issue, and it is perhaps the act that most powerfully exhibits what it is to be instinctually human. Ina May is showing us how to trust women, value birth, and reconcile modern life with a process as old as our species.

This February, m.a.m.a. earth will sponsor the amazing Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival in Oriental Mindoro Philippines (on 27 Feb – 3 Mar 2014) to help increase awareness about the festival, promote m.a.m.a earth’s mission of art, music and nature making a change for the better and to strengthen our connection to the Philippines.

Why Malasimbo? The Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival is the first international music and arts festival of its caliber in the Asia-Pacific. It is set amidst the tropical gardens of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines; truly one of the world’s most enchanting backdrops for a festival.

  Liter of Light is just one of the non-profit projects that Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival supports.

The festival is highly publicized in local and international media for its awe-inspiring landscape and unique eco-cultural program. Adventure, environment, and eco-cultural tourism are its cornerstones and the festival takes a pro-active stance in promoting the best things about the country and its culture, with a conservationist approach. Malasimbo’s Corporate Social Responsibility is focused on the environment (reforestation, marineprotection), indigenous people, and also working on the protection of the native animals that are heading for extinction (i.e. Tamaraw Bull). Malasimbo also works with the Liter of Light project and in the past, has installed Solar Panels in indigenous people’s villages.

Check out more about the festival on these blogs:

Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival

8 Things You Should Know About Malasimbo 2014

Malasimbo 2013: In Preparation for the Next

Also, during the month of February, m.a.m.a. earth’s Philippines chapter will partner withBruno Mars Philippines to collect clothes, toys, and non-perishable food for Mary Immaculate Children’s and Center Orphanage in the City of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan. Here in the U.S., m.a.m.a. earth will run a 14 day online fundraiser leading up to the festival for the Philippines in order to help us deliver donations to the Oriental Mindoro area the weekend of Malasimbo Arts & Music Festival.

About m.a.m.a. earth:

Kailani singing for the Cebu inmates in a 2011 visit to the Phlippines.

m.a.m.a. earth is a non-profit organization, founded by Jaime Kailani Bayot, 1/3 of singing group The Lylas and big sister to Grammy award-winning Bruno Mars.

Founded in 2007, m.a.m.a. earth uses the power of art, music and nature to make a change for the better with all-ages enrichment classes at schools and community centers, powerful work around the world on environmental stewardship and sustainability, as well as hosting fundraising concerts for various charities. m.a.m.a. earth has evolved into doing great work with national non-profits in the US, Jamaica, Africa and Haiti and has formed international chapters of m.a.m.a. earth in Brazil, Chile, Germany, UK and the Philippines and also gained followers in more than 40 countries.

Congrats to m.a.m.a. e a r t h supporter, Bruno Mars, on his Grammy win tonight! So proud of you!

Dear family,

2013 has been full of big ideas, accomplishments, loss, beauty, inspiration –  and most of all…LOVE. Every day, people ask us, “What is m.a.m.a. earth?”, “What does m.a.m.a. earth DO?” The short answer?

m.a.m.a. earth is a global family using the power of art, music and nature to make a change for the better.

Did you know that one of our recent blog posts was read in more than 39 countries?

Did you know that there are m.a.m.a. earth chapters in Brazil, Chile, Germany, UK and the Philippines?

Did you know that you can Get Involved! and bring your own big ideas to life with us?

Here’s a wrap up of what m.a.m.a. earth – with the help of an amazing team – accomplished this year…whew!

ART

The One Peace Art Show

In June, we presented our first interactive gallery art show at the historic Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. A BIG thank you to JNA Gallery for opening its doors for a family-friendly day with live screenprinting from HIT+RUN, signature punch bowls from Del Monte Speakeasy, interactive art curated by ALTER, exhibitions from fashion/portrait photographer Jiro Schneider, creative genius Shah Wonders,  the supra magical mystical artist Ronda Brown, and m.a.m.a. earth founder, Jaime Kailani Bayot’s very own son, Marley Van Peebles.

Bernadette Bayot pictured with children Jaime Kailani, Bruno, Tiara and Eric.

A week before the show, our beloved Bernadette Bayot passed away suddenly. We were all stunned and heartbroken and we weren’t sure how to proceed. But Bernie would have always said the show must go on so Jaime Kailani brought Bernie’s  incredible paintings from the family home in Oahu, Hawaii and we honored Bernie with an exhibition in the show.

The day was so FULL of beauty, community, creativity, music and laughter. Thank you to all that participated!

Were you there that day? Click here to check out the photo booth pics from Kate Santiago Photography and see all the beautiful people that attended!

Check out this clip by Illusionary Films documenting the day:

ONE PEACE 2013 FINAL from 4mamaearth on Vimeo.

Thank you to Center for Living Peace for Another Year of All-ages Enrichment Classes

We are so honored to continue to be an affiliate of the non-profit community hub called Center for Living Peace (in Irvine, California), alongside the likes of Pacific Symphony, The Ecology Center and Girl Scouts. This year, we presented classes to inspire creativity and vision with classes about Healing Crystals, Percussion, Metal-Work, Afro-Cuban Dance and more! Thank you to world-renowned instructors like dancer Kimberly Miguel Mullen, Erika Elizondo, Sonja Marie, Violeta Villacorta and the list goes on. Center for Living Peace has hosted His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall, Queen Noor of Jordan, Charlize Theron, Eboo Patel and more. We are in AMAZING company and can’t wait to see Center for Living Peace continue their growth and commitment to making good happen on this planet.

Because we know our audience spans the globe, we are now working to present these classes online for all to participate. Thank you to those that took our first ONLINE Art of Astrology class with the one and only Sonja Marie last month. We had students from Germany, Brazil and all over the United States!

  MUSIC

A Year of Incredible SOUNDLAB showcases at Witzend Live

We spent this year co-presenting monthly showcases with non-profit GreenRoots Presents featuring an eclectic mix of some of the best singer/songwriters and musicians around. People like Jacob Luttrell (one of pop music’s busiest people who has written hit records for artists like Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, Akon and Pitbull), Andy Allo (who toured with Prince – yes, THAT PRINCE), and Jamar Rogers (former finalist of The Voice), Filipina singer/songwriter Melissa Polinar and countless others brought their voices, guitars, drums, violins, cellos and more to the stage to help us raise money for m.a.m.a. earth’s ongoing programs, Oklahoma Tornado Relief and more. All shows took place at the one and only Witzend Live in Venice, California – an intimate live music venue opened by the late great, Jeb Milne, who passed away suddenly in September. As we have witnessed the passing of some amazing individuals this year, we are only more motivated to dedicate ourselves to the present moment and work that is enriching and fulfilling for all!

Photo courtesy of Jiro Schneider

A big thank you also goes out to to ElevenSound, the incomparable Common Kings and Tre “SlimKid3″ Hardson, formerly of the legendary Pharcyde, for an amazing showcase of music last August to help spread the word about our work! ElevenSound houses a unique and beautiful live music venue above their audio post-production studios in Santa Monica. Since 2007,  they have hosted over 100 professional and philanthropic live music events!

With a little help from Bruno Mars, m.a.m.a. earth was able to donate two autographed Fender ukuleles to help raise some money for US Department of Education Green Ribbon Award-winning, Journey School, a public Waldorf charter school in Southern California. The Green Ribbon Award is a recognition award that honors schools and districts that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education.  The other ukulele raised funds for New Horizon School, a progressive and independent Islamic School in Orange County preparing children to make positive contributions to the global community with a character enriched with knowledge, inspired to excellence, and committed to the betterment of family, community, and humanity. Kudos to both of these schools!

  NATURE

m.a.m.a. earth founder, Jaime Kailani Bayot, pictured with "papa earth", internationally-recognized urban farmer, Eugene Cooke.

And finally, NATURE! A big part of m.a.m.a. earth’s work is about food justice and the basic human right to healthy food. Our Papa Earth, urban farmer Eugene Cooke, has been very busy sharing his knowledge and the tools needed to empower communities around the world. Here’s a list of his accomplishments this year:

Visited Haiti to teach composting with League of Hope

Visited New Orleans, Louisiana to assist in preparing urban farm sites for spring and summer planting with Sankofa CDC

Continued work with One Love Learning Foundation with visits to Jamaica

Established ROOTS market in Atlanta, Georgia selling fresh and pickled produce, local native medicines and teas

Presented  a talk entitled “Liquid Design” at the New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Masaru Emoto‘s 70th birthday celebration Water Ceremony in Southern California

Developed the UGRO (Urban Garden Resilency Oasis) Learning Garden leading many Native Skills workshops with youth and adults

Published the expanded Second Edition of the book Grow Where You Are

So, there you have it! A look back at 2013.

What does the future hold? We can’t wait to find out!

On behalf of our entire global team, we offer our deepest gratitude to all of you who took time to follow us on social media, those who made a donation to one of our fundraisers, those who bought a ticket to one of our events, the teachers who share their time and talent, the incredible venues that open their doors to us and all of the people around the world who are somehow touched by what we do, in ways big and small.

m.a.m.a. earth Founder Jaime Kailani and Creative Director, Andrea Miller

Much love and Happy New Year,

Andrea

Creative Director at m.a.m.a. earth

Find us at @4mamaearth

  Do you like what we do? Make a donation at:

Join the m.a.m.a. earth team at the 12th Annual Irvine Global Village Festival on Saturday, September 28th, 2013.  This multicultural event features international cuisine, live entertainment, a kids village with crafts and activities, cultural and religious exhibits and an international marketplace. Festival admission and parking is free. Make plans to travel the world as the festival launches with its registration for the annual Walk for Unity at 8:30am. The Walk for Unity was first founded & established by Ms. Sunny Zia, founder of Humanity Unites and will now be hosted by The Tiyya Foundation, helping displaced and refugee American families.

4mamaearth presents ONE PEACE art show

Santa Monica, California

m.a.m.a. earth has been making a change for the better with art, music and nature since 2007. It all started when m.a.m.a. earth founder, Jaime Kailani, was working as a booking manager for her little brother, Bruno Mars, who had just moved to Los Angeles to get his music career going. As she begin to form relationships with clubs and bars all over Los Angeles, she felt moved to do something GOOD for others, to make it EASY for people to give to important causes – all while having fun. Of course, Jaime Kailani enlisted her brothers Bruno and drummer, Eric, to perform at the first m.a.m.a. earth fundraising concerts and asked Bruno’s writing partner, Phil, to host once in a while. The rest, as they say, is “her-story.”

Since then, Bruno Mars has become a worldwide success as a producer, songwriter and performer while m.a.m.a. earth has continued to produce fundraising concerts and all-ages enrichment classes about art, music and nature. Once in a while, Bruno has tweeted  or shared something on Facebook about m.a.m.a. earth and because of this, the m.a.m.a. earth audience has gone global.

CLICK HERE TO HELP US GROW OUR GLOBAL CHAPTER PROGRAM.

Last year, we began to form ‘chapters’ of m.a.m.a. earth in different countries like the Philippines, Chile, Germany, the UK and Brazil.  The Brazil chapter is led by Amanda Oliviera who runs the largest Bruno Mars fansite in Brazil and also created “Project Count on Me”.  They have been organizing gatherings in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo to encourage fans to embrace the kinds of charitable causes endorsed by m.a.m.a. earth. Amanda writes,  ”I have been taught since childhood to be in solidarity with those in my country and community and do my best to lend a hand whenever I can help people!

Recently, Amanda shared her latest project working with Missão Cena, a non-profit organization that helps homeless people and needy families in the old center of São Paulo. Amanda’s team met with volunteers that come from places like Germany and Switzerland. These foreign volunteers come to Brazil to learn more about working with children and people who are addicted to drugs. Amanda’s team raised money to purchase needed items for Missão Cena and also volunteer as they fed 150 people. After the meal,  people can use the facility to do the things that many of us take for granted –  take a bath, get their haircut, etc.  Amanda’s team also donated toys they collected for the children.

Amanda wrote to us, “I was horrified by the situation of addicts on drugs, it’s really unfortunate, it was a difficult experience.” She has pledged to continue bringing people together in Brazil to do more work to make changes for the better for others.

Here is a short video about their experience, some of the English translation is a bit fuzzy but you can get the idea:

hank you, Brazil! We are proud of your initiative and look forward to supporting you more!