Throughout the year, the KVRP retained a “bottom up” or “grass roots” approach to helping the East Timorese help themselves.
We pursued a multitude of small, personal and usually integrated activities, rather than large single projects. Being substantially self funded and consistent with our philosophy, our material contributions were small. Instead, we relied on sharing our existing skills in day to day situations, with emphasis on East Timorese who showed leadership or mentoring potential within their communities. We now see the beginnings of likely long-term relationships.
Along the way we tried to identify the best and worst of our respective Australian and East Timorese lifestyles, to better direct both our paths into the future.

This year, 7 KVRP people will have spent a total of 66 weeks in ET. One spent much of the year working in Dr Dan Murphy’s Clinic. Others were involved in English and Tetum literacy tuition, trauma counseling, nutrition, health and litter problems, setting up a sewing workshop in Remexio for 60 women with ongoing supervision and sale of product to Australia, physically improving the “Uma Turismo” and discussing business principles, commencing a dulcimer making and general carpentry workshop at Lahane, identifying future candidates to have training in KV, distributing family photos, a performance tour by Ros Dunlop (clarinet) of Martin Wesley-Smith’s musical piece “X” (Xanana), the visit to Los Palos and identification of 2 schools to partner Oxley College, preparation for a ten KV person goodwill bus tour adventure in July.

In exchange, five ETs have spent 69 weeks in KV with short stays from 4 others. They variously received personal health evaluations plus training in ESL with ongoing English, teaching methods, building methods, roof water collection systems, dulcimer making, horticulture, advanced sewing, guitar and piano playing, music notation, farm fencing, kayak building, observation of dental practice options, realistic improvements to family nutrition in ET, general life skills and appraisal of unrealistic expectations.

During the year, one container and 5 pallets were sent containing a Mitsubishi Colt car, a PA system, specific tools, select timber for dulcimer making, bulk A4 paper, reconditioned sewing machines, sewing fabric, Christmas gifts to the Liquica Orphanage from KV children, requested text books and other educational items.

We enjoyed regular complementary working relationships with the Sisters at The Mary MacKillop Institute at St Marys, Sister Michelle in Dili, The Springwood group, Rob Wesley-Smith in Darwin, Rotary groups and others on a less regular basis.

We addressed a Dili/Canberra Friendship City formation meeting in Canberra, three U3A lectures, service groups and we created numerous photo-story displays plus a full page article in The Kangaroo Valley Voice, each month. After each KV resident returned from ET, there was a public debriefing. For people outside of KV, we have an active phone and internet information exchange.

We continued to meet every Saturday morning at “Bella’s” Café in KV as our predictable occasion for face to face interaction with locals and visitors.