Ryder-Cheshire
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Following the post-referendum violence of 1999, the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation established a home in East Timor called Klibur Domin. This home exists to help relieve the suffering of the people of East Timor who are sick, disabled, or destitute, without regard to age, race or religion.
Patients who are awaiting or recovering from surgery, and others with conditions including TB and malnutrition are referred from Dili Hospital, the National TB Program, local clinics, and elsewhere, to be cared for at Klibur Domin.
The Home provides, free:
· Accommodation for fifty patients and residents
· Good nutrition
· Transport to hospital for medical treatment
· Supervised medication
· Exercise programs with trained Rehabilitation Aide
· Health education
· Support and loving care
· Long term care and social support for people who have a disability and are homeless.
In 2002, in response to a need expressed by visiting Australian surgeons, Ryder-Cheshire organised a team of voluntary physiotherapists to set up and run a three month training course for East Timorese nurses to become Rehabilitation Aides. They are now able to provide basic remedial exercise programs, thus optimising the work of visiting surgeons, and ensuring that the intervention is not wasted. All eleven students successfully completed the course and are working at locations around East Timor, including at Klibur Domin. Volunteer physiotherapists continue to provide follow up.
Early in 2006 a generous bequest enabled two new pilot projects to commence.
- A Mobile TB Clinic to visit outlying areas to conduct diagnostic tests and supervise medication.
- A Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) project to identify children with disabilities living in outlying areas. A mobile outreach team will provide assessment, therapy, equipment, and ongoing support for the children and their families, in their homes and schools.
A volunteer occupational therapist appointed by AVI will co-ordinate the projects for eighteen months. In the longer term further operational funding will be required to maintain the programs.
Klibur Domin is managed and staffed by local people who do the work of running the home, including caring, cooking, cleaning, driving, maintenance, and security. Australian volunteers provide ongoing assistance and support.
Overall control of the home rests with a Board of Management, chaired by Dr Rui Araujo, the East Timorese Minister for Health, and includes an Australian representative. Funds to operate Klibur Domin are raised in Australia by public donation and fund raising, to cover the annual operating budget of $A85,000.
Photos
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Click here for the Klibur Domin web site and more photos