Kits 4 KidsTimor Awakening (TA #6) – April 2018

A Veterans and Rotary activity in Timor.

A group of Australian veterans recently conducted an 11 day Veteran Health program distributing2,000 Kits4Kids in remote rural areas of Timor Leste. The program also involved a range ofphysical activities involving daily walks, some cycling, stretching and discussions on a range ofphysical activity options suitable for veterans. It also included inputs on nutrition, nurture of themind, the soul and relationships, as well as developing a future life purpose.

A continuing aspect of the Timor Awakening program involves the distribution of Kits4Kits packsto rural schools. These small education kits consist of an exercise book, a pencil, rubber, ruler and aZiploc plastic bag to carry them in and are purchased in Dili by Rotary with funds raised inAustralia. Of course the children and teachers are delighted to receive these resources, but theengagement with school children has a therapeutic effect on our participating veterans as well.Program Director Michael Stone says "There is as much joy and smiles on the faces of our veteransas there is on the children."

Timor Awakening # 6 was in Timor from 7 to 18 April 18. Once again distributing the educationalkits to children in the schools was a joyful experience for our veterans and greatly received by thechildren as well.

After packing 2,000 kits in Dili the team headed off to Likisa where they distributed approximately1000 kits to four separate schools in the town. From Likisa they proceeded to Balibo where 300kits were handed out at Saint Anthony‘s Catholic Primary School.

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The next call was Maliana where another 300 kits were distributed to the Junior High School.

The remaining 400 kits were given to an Australian volunteer Dianne Hanna who works in Malianawith the Catholic Church. Dianne generously offered to take the kits to remote villages in theBobonaro Hills that never see overseas visitors. Dianne’s report is printed largely verbatim, so thereader gains an insight into this rather unique and special aspect of this Kits4Kids distribution.

Bondia Maun alin doben siraGood morning my beloved brothers and sisters

It has been almost two weeks now since you returned back to Australia and I wanted to share with you some of what I have been up to since you left. During your visit to Timor you left with me some stationery that had been given through Rotary to distribute to kids in rural areas.

I have given some stationery to Fr Norberto the parish priest in Cailaco to distribute to the childrenthere. Some of you would know this area as Marco. Earlier last week they had a team of 20 or sodoctors running heart scans on all the children there as part of a general screening program forTimorese children in remote areas.

I have given a box to Sr Shalini - half to be distributed to the girls in her boarding house and localchildren in Tunubibi and the other half to be distributed to children through their community inLolotoe which is up in the mountains about 2 hours from Maliana. The first photo is from Sr Shaliniand some of the girls in the Tunubibi boarding house.

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They recently received theirschool results and thestationery packs were given asa gift for their achievements atschool with most of the girlsplacing in the top 3 students intheir respective classes. All ofthe girls in this boardinghouse are from poor familiesand they board with the sistersat no cost. We drove past theboarding house in Tunubibi on our way to meet with Xanana on Saturday morning and then again when we returned back to Balibo that afternoon.

I have also distributed some tochildren in Maliana on my manywalks. I was actually on my way todrop stationery with the Canossiansisters who had organised for thechildren to dance at the municipiooffice in Maliana. This was where wehad lunch in the DistrictAdministrators office and the kidsjoined us at the end with the youngboy sitting in the executive chair. Bythe time I was half a km from thesisters’ place I had only 3 packs left. Iam a softy for the children and thosethat live in and around the rice fieldswould appreciate and make good useof the packs. The next photo was takenby Lyndal (another PALMS volunteer)of some of the kids we met near therice fields and gave packs to.

The last of the stationery I have organised to distribute to children in Saburai through themissionary of the poor brothers that minister there. Saburai is one of the lowest socio economicareas in Timor. We pass through Memo and continue up the mountain to go to Saburai. I visitedwith the children this Saturday that just passed. The brothers organise activities for the kids as well

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as something to eat and drink for them every two weeks. We had around 70 children and 20 adultscome this Saturday. While it was very windy up on the mountain it was a beautiful afternoon andthe kids and I had a great time.

While driving through Maliana you would have noticed the many rice fields. Harvesting has begunand last Tuesday I was out harvesting the rice fields with about a group of 30 locals and theBishop. Its hard work and after about 5 hours we finished harvesting the crop so stopped for lunch.After lunch we bundled the harvest and carried it up to the warehouse for the next phase. The nextday being ANZAC day was also the anniversary of the establishment of the Maliana Diocese. It wasmeant to be a low key event with just morning tea and then us returning to the rice fields but thelocal community decided to put on a celebration with the chiefs of the different villages organisingthe food, drinks and entertainments. I danced for about 3 hours until my knees and hips needed tocheck out.

Friday afternoon I was in the office working with Marianna one of the women I have been trainingand an unexpected group of Australians arrived. John the manager of the accommodation bookingswasn't around so Mariana and I had to scramble to arrange some rooms for them. I was excited tosee that Michael (Stone) was with them. They left on Saturday morning but I have sent hugs foreach of you with Michael before he left. Make sure you ask him for them when you see each othernext.

My love, prayers and best wishes to you all.

Dianne

This was the sixth in a series of the Timor Awakening programs that have been conducted by theVeterans Care Association (VCA) led by DVA Men's Health Peer Education volunteer ChaplainGary Stone.

The Timor Awakening program is much more than 11 days in Timor. It involves a three monthpreparation period and a six month follow up period where VCA Life Coach Michael Albrechtguides participants in implementing their Health and Wellbeing plans.

The Timor Awakening rehabilitation program was designed by 20 year Army veteran MajorMichael Stone, who spent 96 months deployed in Timor over his military service. Responding to aseries of crises over many years saw Michael himself diagnosed with PTSD and medicallydischarged from the ADF. The inadequacies of his treatment saw him and his a Father Gary - a 47year Army and AFP veteran gather together a group of ex-service doctors, nurses, psychologists,chaplains and pastoral carers, to form the VCA and offer holistic health education to promoteresilience and offer hope to veterans and families with complex health issues.

The 11 day Timorese Immersion utilises a diverse range of educative experiences - reflecting on theresilience of our WW2 forebears, hearing the inspiration of the Falantil guerrilla fighters in theirbattle for independence, formal educational inputs, small and large group discussions and reflection,

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community engagement, and the experience of the camaraderie of a group of veterans on missiontogether to see how they can improve their health and the health of others in the veteran community.

The Veterans Care Association continues to be amazed at how grateful the children are for receivingthese basic gifts but also to have the contact with Australians who clearly show care for them . Atthe same time it was amazing to see the joy expressed by our veterans in being able to share thekits.

The Veterans Care Association is grateful to the members of Rotary for their commitment tofunding and providing these kits. It is a wonderful way of showing the rural people of Timor, stillliving in poverty, that Australians still care for them. We acknowledge the support and financialcontributions from the Rotary Clubs of Townsville (NQLD), Port of Townsville (NQLD) andMundingburra (Townsville NQLD). [Note: a further 1,000 kits funded by Mundingburra and Port ofTownsville will be distributed in the coming months by the Australian Defence CooperationProgram families.]

The next Timor Awakening activity will see a further 2,500 Kits4Kids distribution in September2018.

Author: Gary Stone Date: 9 May 2018

The Veterans PadreVeterans Care Association Inc

Holistic Care for of Body Mind & Soul for Veterans, Families & Carerswww.VeteransCare.com.au

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