Women's Nook
Here’s a story I’d like to share with you. It’s written by Judy Blackman whom I met about a year ago.
Judy is the most wonderful woman to meet and listen to. She lives and works in Mudgee, NSW and apart from all her family commitments she’s been very involved in the local community for years. Many of us, given the opportunity, would love to volunteer and help out somewhere in the world. Judy has found a way to do that too.
When she started to talk passionately about her ‘holidays’ with her husband, spent helping poor villagers in Asia establish basic water systems, schools and health centres I was struck by her empathy for people in circumstances less fortunate than ours here in Australia, and her desire to act.
I asked Judy to share with us the story of her up-coming trip back to East Timor. It’s typical of her that the images she provided are from her first visit to this struggling new nation to our north that she has fallen in love with but not one of herself. I know she wants to write a follow-up about her trip so I’ll make sure she includes one with it!
Recently at morning tea, a work colleague was speaking enthusiastically about her up-coming walking tour of Copenhagen and a cruise down the Rhine, much to the envy of others in the group. I was excited for her but all the while I was thinking I’M OFF TO EAST TIMOR – what could be better that that?
My dream of returning to East Timor after my first trip there four years ago is about to be realised.
I’m a bit of a news junkie – reading the daily papers, watching the news on TV, reading Time and the like. I had followed the story of East Timor’s struggle for independence with great interest.
However, it was hearing Max Stahl speaking in Bathurst about five years ago that really created a passion in me for this tiny nation and its people. Max, a journalist, has recorded the history of East Timor. He saw first hand, and reported on its struggle for independence, as well as the hopes and dreams of the people and their supporters, when finally the Indonesian Government agreed to allow them to vote.
Max filmed and wrote of the hideous actions by the retreating Indonesian army and others that left many people injured or killed and most of the infrastructure ‘trashed’. Like many other Australians I’d been proud when our troops finally went in offering support.
However, what really burned me up that night in Bathurst was to hear from Max what I’d been reading about - Australia’s grab for oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea that East Timor was claiming as theirs. I felt so ashamed. How could we, in this prosperous nation, wish to deny the newest and poorest nation on earth access to such a vital resource? Our close neighbour who needs our help to become strong after so much suffering?
I decided then that I would visit this country and show these people I cared and I was sorry. I didn’t know how or when but I would go.
Go I did, with my husband four years ago. On arrival I immediately saw evidence everywhere of the
trashed infrastructure and the poverty. I also discovered on that trip the most incredibly beautiful landscape - ranging from pristine beaches to enormous, rugged mountain ranges, wide rivers, green paddy fields and flowering bougainvillea on the humblest of homes. What impressed me even more were delightful little children who were everywhere and the warm and welcoming people in every town, village and home we visited.
I can’t explain it other than to say that from the moment I arrived in East Timor I had an overwhelming sense of ‘coming home’. I fell in love with the place and its people. If it were not for my children (one of whom has special needs) and grandchildren, I felt I could stay there permanently because all around I could see so many opportunities to help.
There is land to be farmed and made more productive, children to be educated, health care to be developed, tourism opportunities and so much more.
I visited the Alola Foundation and saw what Kirsty Sword- Gusmao (Australian-born wife of the first President, now Prime Minister) has set up to support mothers and children. I met other Aussies who like me just wanted to give these people a helping hand by doing practical things like building and repair work. There were groups of Rotarians and others just pitching in too.
I also saw things that concerned me. Well meaning people who were ‘assisting’ in a way the missionaries of old did by converting and changing people to their way of thinking, destroying beautiful cultures and not respecting the beliefs of others.
Since that first trip I have done what small things I could, supporting Alola and other groups in East Timor but always with a dream of going back. What a lovely surprise when my friend Ruth, whose husband is working over there, invited me to go with her for a visit? It took two seconds at most to reply yes to her email.
On hearing of my proposed trip, Tim, my grandson asked ‘Grandma, can I come too?’ He’s a beautiful, talented 16 year-old who’s in leadership at Mudgee High School (which has a sister relationship with a school in Fatuberliu, East Timor) and who hopes and dreams of becoming an international lawyer for human rights. Tim wanted to share the experience. It took another two seconds to say ‘yes’ to him!
He immediately got a job at a local restaurant and has saved the funds for his fare and expenses over there. Through the Mudgee High School Student Representative Council he organised a fund-raiser and has $650 for the sister-school at Fatuberliu to buy sporting equipment.
Whilst in East Timor we will spend a week at the school (built two years ago with funds raised in Mudgee) and then a week at Hope Orphanage in Gleno where an Australian man cares for over thirty children. We will also spend time with my friend Ruth and her husband and visiting as many places as we can.
For me, I know it will be sheer joy visiting the place that I love and spending quality time with my delightful young grandson. For Tim, I know it will be an experience he will never forget.
Copenhagen? – Not for me!
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