Communities in Timor Leste will soon be better able to address their medical needs, thanks to the tireless work of local Rotary volunteers.
On Saturday 10 April, members of the Rotary Clubs of Berwick, Pakenham and Emerald along with the President of the Interact Club of St Margaret’s School and Berwick Grammar, worked together to pack hospital beds for transport to Timor Leste.
These beds are going from the former site of St John of God Hospital in Gibbs Street, Berwick to St John of God Hospital in Dili, Timor Leste, where they are greatly needed.
The beds will be transported through Rotary’s ‘Donation in Kind’’ in West Footscray, which is a volunteer-based recycling facility that provides free goods and material to people in need throughout the world.
Recently, Timor Leste was devastated by the worst floods that people can remember.
Timor Leste is regarded as one of the world’s poorest countries, with few resources to assist in times of major disaster such as this.
So far, 23 people are confirmed as having died and that number is expected to rise.
Villagers have no water or electricity due to the damage caused by the floods and cannot even clean the mud from their houses.
The donation of beds to the hospital in Dili is expected to help to address the medical needs of the wider population, as well as those impacted by the floods.
It’s also a demonstration of the opportunities Rotary provides to assist communities at home and abroad and was a “terrific morning’s work by the Rotarians and Interact”, a spokesperson for the Rotary Club of Berwick said.
