We don’t have far to look to see the value of overseas development aid when well-planned and effectively-targeted.
Villages located on Timor-Leste’s river plains are prone to inundation when river levels surge, causing tragic fatalities as well as extensive loss of housing, livestock, crops and material possessions.
In response to this, CARE Australia and other aid agencies have implemented a Disaster Ready Project in collaboration with the Timorese disabled persons organisation Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan. Among those being trained in detecting early warnings of potential disasters is young villager, Julmiera Lopez:
“My role in the committee is to monitor the water level in the local river, using the water level meter painted on the pillar of the bridge,” Julmiera said. “And then to disseminate early warning information to the community to advise preparation and protection methods accordingly.
“We receive weather updates from Civil Protection by text messaging and television news. I pass this information to the community by using megaphone announcements.”
Welcome expansion
Australia’s incoming Albanese Labor Government increased overseas aid in its October budget to A$4,588 million (US$3,248million) from a miserable $3,755 million allocated in the previous budget.
Thus begins the task of restoring Australia’s generosity to neighbours in need – and Australia’s reputation as a global good citizen – after the neglect of the recent conservative Coalition years. See blue chart, below.
The largest increases in aid funds will target Southeast Asia and the Pacific. A record high of A$1,850 million will go to the Pacific islands —$1,501 million in ‘base’ aid and $346 million in temporary measures. That’s around 40 per cent of the aid program.
Australia and Timor-Leste
Relations between these two close neighbours are gradually being restored after decades of significant strain. Australia’s incoming Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong travelled to Dili last September to meet with the Timor-Leste President, the Prime Minister and her counterpart, Adaljiza Magno, Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation [both pictured, below].
At a joint press conference, Wong announced an additional $20 million in a COVID-19 response package for programs managed and delivered by the Timor-Leste Government. That is on top of the $100 million dollars already allocated for base development assistance.
“The funds will be used to support payments for children and pregnant mothers, through the Bolsa da Mãe Jerasaun Foun program, and Timor-Leste villages development program,” Wong said. “The final area we are also supporting with the additional funding is skills training linked to our labour mobility scheme.”
More than just money
Julmiera Lopez believes empowering women to lead in remote areas is crucial, particularly in patriarchal societies where deep-rooted gender norms can create major barriers to women’s engagement and leadership.
“Not only have I been empowered and skilled to support my community from life-threatening events, but I can see the practical value of women’s participation in disaster risk reduction activities.”
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This is an abbreviated version of an article published yesterday in Independent Australia. The original article is available here in full for free:
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/australias-renewed-commitment-to-neighbourliness-is-saving-lives,17185
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