'Trek for Timor'
TREK FOR TIMOR FOR 2009 IS NOW FINISHED
We would like to thank all the Trek for Timor teams for their amazing efforts helping the Kangaroo Valley-Remexio Partnership almost double our fundraising target to date!
This will enable the project to light up many more houses than we originally planned. The inaugural Trek for Timor will make a real difference to the lives of many living around Remexio, some of the world's most disadvantaged people.
We wish to acknowledge the wonderful band of volunteers who were always smiling and encouraging whether they were cooking and serving food, supporting the trekkers at each of the checkpoints along the way, guiding them along the bush trails and transporting them back to the car paddock. St Johns Ambulance and WICEN ensured the safety of all by providing expert first aid and communications assistance. We are also grateful to the many businesses and organisations that supported the event.
The Trekkers for Timor prepared themselves well for the challenging event. Of the 28 teams that set out on the 14kilometre trail, 100% successfully completed the walk. Of the 46 teams that participated in the 50 kilometre challenge 75% finished with their complete team and 94% of teams finished with one member or more.
For detailed times and results of the teams:
The trek for Timor solar lighting project is fundraising until 19th October - so help us keep the donations coming in. The current leading fundraising teams are shown here.
A photo album of the Trek for Timor can be viewed by clicking here.
You can find out more about the Village Lighting Project here.
Our partnership with Remexio
Kangaroo Valley has been developing a village-to-village partnership with Remexio in East Timor since May 2000. Remexio consists of a main village (about 25 kms south of the capital, Dili) and a number of satellite villages. Beyond these are a scattering of smaller communities, difficult to access, rarely visited and with progressively poorer standards of living.
Until 2009, networking and the development of personal relationships have been uppermost and our projects have been quite small (such as the provision of sewing machines, netball courts and tertiary scholarships). Now in 2009, discussions with Remexio community leaders have resulted in Kangaroo Valley undertaking the challenge of funding a Village Lighting Project, for the benefit of three of the most remote communities.