What we are about...

Jude Conway (bottom right) from HETS with Timorese scholarship students supported by Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters (BMETS)

What HETS is raising money for... 

HETS want to contribute to improving opportunities for women in Timor Leste by raising funds for projects under the guidance of Asia Pacific Support Collective -Timor Leste (APSC-TL) staffed by Timorese women. Selling Timorese hand-woven cloth (tais) products  here in the Hunter helps provide an income for the women weavers, other sales of cards and coffee contributes to projects such as educational scholarships for young women.  

Education is a fundamental need, as illiteracy rates are around 50%, with approximately two thirds of women being illiterate.  School fees are relatively high and so families can often only afford to send one child to school.  As secondary and tertiary schooling often means students have to board in larger towns, that increases the costs to parents.

Money raised for educational needs goes towards       
scholarships to help with secondary and tertiary education fees 
establishing libraries
provising food for children at school
school buses (dependent on road conditions)
teacher training – plus costs for teachers to attend such training
school supplies

Since 2008  HETS  has held a number of events to raise funds and awareness of Timor Leste at which tais products are also sold.  These include fund-raisers such as garage sales, trivia nights and tais & tea afternoons have also provided outlets for a  HETS  stall and a way to raise awareness of current issues in Timor Leste.   Book launches, talks on Timor Gas and Oil and the recent Eggo Lemnos concert have also been HETS supported events. 

All money raised once tais and tais products are bought goes towards providing scholarships for women and girls to attend schools and colleges in Timor Leste.  The implementation and oversight of educational scholarships is managed by APSC - TL,  led by Executive Director Beba Sequeira, which operates in Dili. 
 

Other ways to help

Lobbying.....
Suggest that the Australian government could:
Provide more scholarships for Timorese students to study at university in Australia 
Expand the guest worker scheme to enable more Timorese to be guest workers here
Increase the percentage of Timorese royalties from the Greater Sunrise gas field 

Gift Ideas.....

Hets Scholarship Certificates
$100 - $150 donation will provide education for one year for a student in Timor Leste managed by APSC-TL.

Maternity Packs
$30 will provide a maternity pack for a mother and her newborn  in TL.  HETS organises these through the Alola Foundation. The Maternity Pack includes the basic essentials for the mother and her baby, clothing, sanitary items and nappies, as well as important information on breastfeeding and post-natal care.  Packs are produced in Timor-Leste, promoting local employment and the local economy.  

Contact us if you would like to purchase either of these. 

Other ways to support projects in Timor Leste

HETS members also support activities run by other Timor support groups such as the Trek for Timor which is run on alternate years by the Kangaroo Valley Remexio Partnership and Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters.
 
The Hunter East Timor Support Network has also been formed to raise awareness about Timor-Leste and participate in fundraising events. We have started consultations on establishing a Friendship Relationship between the Hunter and the Timorese district of Bobonaro.  

Members of BMETS and Jude Conway (bottom right)with Timorese scholarship students in 2010