200 FOR EAST TIMOR
Tasmanians helping the children of East Timor
HELPING EAST TIMOR
OUR CURRENT PROJECTS
Maliana orphanage
Maliana is on the west of East Timor, at the border with Indonesia. It's where I initially deployed to prior to heading up the mountain to Lolotoe.
Maliana also is where Betty's senior high school is situated, she completed three years there and its when she graduated Year 12 in Maliana, then she left for Tasmania in 2006.
Maliana has a small convent with several Canossian Sisters. They have a small house but are required to support about twenty young children who are either orphans or from very poor families.
I took Rotarian Esley DUNHAM to East Timor in March 2014. We spent a wonderful evening and morning with Sister Elsa from this convent. She explained their desperate need for another building to accommodate these young children.
Upon returning to Tasmania, Esley put it to his Rotary Club, Devonport North, and they agreed to fundraise with a view to erecting the much needed building.
We are hoping to raise the money in time to erect the building in October this year.
This project, like all the projects we are pushing, is over-seen by Sister Arora PIERES, of the Canossion Sisters in Dili.
Sister Arora is from a family who were an important part of the long fight for independance. She is deeply committed to her country, and most particularly the children of East Timor. She sees all the children of East Timor as her own.
If you would like to be part of the creation of this orphanage, Devonport Rotary Club welcome any support. To find out more, click here
Help with our major raffle!! If you would like to donate a prize or sell a book for us, get info here
The plot of land in front of the convent at Maliana that we are hoping to build the small orphange on, taken in May 2014.
200 for east timor
Sister Arora has been made aware of about 200 of the children from the most destitute families in East Timor.
These children have no chance of any type of education.
Their ages range from 5 years to 10 years of age.
Any of these children could be the next Betty, if they are given the chance.
Any of these children, if exposed to even the basic education, could be studying in Australia in 15 years time under a scholarship, privately funded, or by some other means.
But if they aren't given the opportunity for primary education, they have no chance.
If you are interested in supporting one of these young Timorese children through the years ahead, click here
Sister Arora with three young children from Manliana Village..........
Betty - our friend and our hope
Betty is an example of a community standing together as a group and change a persons life extroadinarily, and in doing so helping a a country so much in need and so deserved.
She came to us as a young girl with big dreams, and left us as a nurse, eager to begin helping her people.
Betty continues to need our support. We hope to bring her back to Australia regularly for up-skilling.
She has worked with the Fred Hollows Foundation for several years now, and the countless eye operations she has assisted in has changed the lives of hundreds of people through the restoration, or improvement, of their vision.
Take a look at Bettys time here in Tasmania by clicking here
Tasmanian MHR Peter Gutwein with Betty at Bridport RSL at a trivia night in 2008. Peter was our rock, we were confronted with several visa issues over the years and time and time again, Peter came to the rescue. Peter was instrumental in getting Betty to Tasmania, keeping her here, and getting her through her degree.