It all began in 2010 when I decided to subscribe to monthly child sponsorship. I surfed the web, and read a lot of material from different aid and development organisations. East Timor Children's Fund jumped out at me for several reasons:
- It was an Australian based Child Sponsorship Agency
- Timor-Leste was the closest third-world country to Australia
- I had a desire to possibly meet my future sponsored child one day
I signed up, and was sent a picture of a beautiful little girl, named Felicidade. Felicidade lived in an orphanage in Soibada. She was 11 years old.
Throughout the year of 2010, I was studying Community Services Work. One of my favourite subjects was Working with People who are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. Our major assignment was to undertake research of a country, the people and their culture. Following that, we were to present our findings to the class. I chose Timor-Leste.
What I remember most whilst undertaking my research of Timor-Leste was the overwhelming roller coaster of emotions I felt. The Timorese people had endured so many injustices and hardships! I became intensely focussed on obtaining everything I could get my hands on. There was so much information. It jolted a mixture of memories, such as the 1999 Tour of Duty rock concert which I remember playing the radio through my television (really loud) in an old house that I lived in at the time. Additionally, remembering family members of the Balibo 5 using the media to desperately get answers to the whereabouts of their missing loved ones.
I learned that 'Timor' meant 'East', and became baffled why westerners were calling the country East Timor? (East East) The Timorese people prefered their country to be called Timor-Leste or Timor Lorosae, meaning East of the rising sun.
It also surprised me to learn that Timor and Australia had a relationship dating back to WW11, It also infuriated me to learn that when our Aussie troops withdrew, after being housed, fed and assisted by the Timorese for years during the war, the Timorese were left to try an defend themselves, unsuccessfully, against the Japanese. My interest and growing passion of this beautiful little nation instigated so many conversations with friends, family, work and course colleagues. I was hooked!
