East Timor - a difficult time....
All Connect East Timor supporters, donors and volunteers join together in extending our concerns for the safety of our friends in East Timor. We hope and pray that the difficult situation that has arisen over recent weeks will soon be resolved peacefully through dialogue - based on mutual respect for people and groups holding different views – rather than continued conflict.
While events in East Timor are being closely monitored by our volunteers, Connect East Timor is proceeding with the planning of the Pilot Project (see March newsletter for more information) scheduled to be deployed in August and September 2006. It is expected that a decision, whether or not to proceed in the light of the security situation, will be made by mid June. (Planning and preparatory work will not be wasted in the event that the Pilot Project needs to be postponed as these activities will need to be completed in any case.)
All donors and supporters are encouraged to reflect on the current situation - a symptom of a new nation continuing to struggle as it builds out of the ashes of 1999. There are some signs that the ongoing poverty of people living in rural and remote areas, and their lack of access to essential services such as information, health and education, are contributing factors to the recent troubles.
Rural disadvantage is a primary reason for the existence of Connect East Timor! Consequently, even though we may all need to be patient before we see the Pilot Project (and subsequent stages) implemented, please let’s keep our goal firmly in view! It is also clear that East Timor is likely to need more support, not less.
Thank you donors!
Robert Moore (Queensland Rail, Brisbane) and Henry Oosterbaan (Westside Electronics, Perth) have both generously given pledges to donate their time, skill and technical expertise to install and commission the Pilot Project in East Timor. Last year, both made similar and very generous commitments in relation to the Demonstration Project and it is great that they want to do it again!
CET also acknowledges with appreciation receipt of the following gifts:
Goodman Family: $5,000.00
de Haas Family: $5,000.00
Anonymous donations and further pledges have also been received from other donors. A sincere ‘Thank you’ to all these generous people. Your support is making it all possible; without it Connect East Timor doesn’t exist.
Health Services via Village Radios
Margaret Hall, with her husband David, is a volunteer health worker with PALMS Australia ( www.palms.org.au ), which is also the sponsoring organization for Connect East Timor. With the strong backing of the Brisbane based Friends and Partners with East Timor (FPET) ( www.fpet.org.au ) group, Margaret and David have just commenced their two year stint in Atabae, East Timor. They have kindly agreed to help Connect East Timor in exploring, at a ‘grass roots’ level, health applications and services that can be delivered over the radios installed in Atabae by Connect East Timor. She writes (email of 4 May 2006) “I am very keen to use and be part of your radio system and see it as a very positive step forward.”
Connect East Timor sends best wishes to Margaret and David as they settle into their mission to the people of Atabae. We hope and pray that their mission is not disrupted and we look forward to hearing more from Margaret as to how the radio network can assist her work as well as improving health services generally within the Atabae community.
Fundraising Target
So far this year, Campaign donations have accumulated to just under 50% of the $100,000 fundraising target that was set for 2006 to support the Pilot project and for development of training of Timorese people in radio technologies. Please continue to be generous in supporting this important Campaign for the most disadvantaged people in one of the poorest countries in the world.
A cash gift of only AUD2000 will buy the radio equipment, antenna and solar panel for a village. A gift of AUD3000 will provide for the project, installation and support costs for a single village radio system.
All cash and in-kind gifts remain under the control of PALMS/Connect East Timor (CET) governance arrangements and are not handed over unless and until CET is satisfied that the project objectives will be met. A maximum of 5% is expended on administration.
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to CET, please contact the Campaign Office.
Watch this Space!
In our next newsletter we hope to be able to inform you of a very important initiative to develop a ‘School of the Air’ service over village radios, initially in East Timor and then with potential to extend to other developing countries!
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