East Timor charity needs mobile phones, laptops for foreign aid
Guided by more than 30 years experience in the aid and development sector, a Darebin group is helping some of the poorest members of one of our closest neighbours. And now they’re asking for your help.
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A charity you’ve never heard of is changing hundreds of lives in a place you’ve never been, one friendship at a time.
Friends of Baucau has been operating since 2000, providing aid and knowledge to the subdistrict of Baucau, East Timor.
Friends of Bacau convener Chris Dureau was recently awarded the Darebin Council Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 30 years in the international aid and development sector.
Mr Dureau’s latest focus is bridging the gap between community groups in East Timor, where poor communication and transport can breed isolation.
Friends of Baucau support an initiative bringing women together to discuss business and family life.
“It’s not about infrastructure or funding from outside, although that helps facilitate, it’s about what people in the community can do to help each other,” Mr Dureau said.
Friends of Baucau enlisted Darebin’s neighbourhood house network for help as experts in how community members can exchange knowledge and ideas.
Jika Jika Community Centre manager Gina Wittingslow said she was amazed at the connections her organisation had with those in Baucau.
“We rely on the community to be in charge of their futures,” she said.
“It’s sort of the same thing they’re doing over there. Relying on your own community to make it a better community.”
Ms Wittingslow said she was inspired by a story of how a few women, with the help of a couple of YouTube tutorials, created a sustainable sewing business which now employs six people in the village.
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The neighbourhood house is now collecting working mobile phones and laptops to send to Bacau and improve communication.
For more information on the charity and to get involved visit the Friends of Bacau website, or call Jika Jika Community Centre on 9482 5100.
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