 On the 5th of April, our friends in Dili, Timor Leste were hit by destructive floods. Timor Leste is a hard country at the best of times, but the people are proud and tough. The people are also very poor and there are no resources to pull them out of a major disaster such as this. It will take the country years to recover from this event. Rotary Donations in Kind were going to send a 40ft container over with goods, but the need for basic shelter and food is immediate. I have made a request to the Board to donate $1,000 to this appeal. Our Club has a strong connection with Timor-Leste through our involvement with the Balibo Dental project, school equipment supply and building the local economy through tourism. The people of Balibo have built on all of the projects and are turning into a vibrant community with a bright future. This is Rotary in Action and you have to see the gratitude to truly understand the impacts that we have made in this area. ABOUT 'Spend It Well'. Spend it Well is one of our partners in the building schools program. They are well priced, do quality work and employ local people to do the work. Spend It Well directly funds short-term foreign aid projects to make an immediate practical difference to the lives of a local community. In this instance, they are involved in delivering practical help exactly where it is needed. This is a message from Simon Fenby, one of Spend it Well’s Directors, who lives in Dili. "East Timor has been devastated by the worst floods people can remember. I spent yesterday morning on my roof in Dili, as the water rushed through my house. Today, I’ve been in the villages where streets have become rivers and people’s houses have had over a metre of water through them. The villages have no water and no electricity. They can’t even try to clean their homes of the mud, which covers everything. 23 people are confirmed as having died so far and that number is expected to rise. These are people whose economy was destroyed by the Covid pandemic, and have been in lockdown for the last month because of a surging number of cases. I’ve seen men and women just crying, unable to know how to move forward. I walked through a village to deliver some supplies just before writing this email and had people pleading for help. I have no idea how people will recover, but for now the priority is to help them immediately by giving them bottled water, food and clothes. The Timorese are proud and resilient people and they will get through this, but now they need support. If you can help, please donate here. Spend it Well will use 100% of your money on the ground to immediately buy food, water and clothes for people who need it desperately."  Day 3 of Spend It Well’s East Timor Flood ReliefDays of Flood Relief Work: 3
Total Money Raised: A$80,000
Total Spent: A$27,000
Refuge Camps Supported: 4
Villages Supported: 4
Approx Number of People Supported: 2,000+
% of Donor Money spent on Admin Costs: 0 Items Bought and Distributed: 500 tarpaulins 990 blankets 1900 kg rice 990 kg second-hand kids’ clothes 600 kg second-hand adults’ clothes  220 mattresses 600 mosquito nets 3,800 packets of noodles 720 bars of soap 1920 spoons 1380 plates 2520 sanitary pads 7500 pieces washing detergent 240 mosquito strips A$1,500 of medicine Tinned tuna, Sugar, salt, coffee, onions and garlic for 500 people We’ve been amazed by the generosity of donors. The need in East Timor right now is critical and we are using donated funds quickly to get help to people as fast as possible. We value all donations large and small. If you are able, please donate at www.spenditwell.com. The gratitude from the people we’ve been able to help has been overwhelming. We received a video clip today from one of the villages we visited thanking us (while standing knee deep in water) – they said we were the only ones to help them so far. Thanks to everyone whose donations are making this possible from the Spend it Well team – Simon, Nandy, Balkis, Kris, Agostinho and Napo. How to help: You can make a personal difference. As a donor, you are Spend It Well. We encourage donors to get involved at every stage of a Spend It Well project. You choose which project you want to be involved with. You receive photos and updates on progress throughout the project. Where possible, you are also encouraged to visit the project if you wish to see the outcomes of your contribution. Select one of our current projects to get involved in, or talk to us about your ideas for a new project. There are many ways that you can help. We have donors who play a vital role by using their expertise or contacts to help and we welcome these non-monetary contributions. 100% of your donation goes directly to your nominated project (all overheads are separately funded). Donations are tax deductible in Australia. Donate now  |
Australians on the East Coast of Australia, impacted by the recent floods in March, will be the beneficiaries of money raised by the Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) National Flood Appeal.
