Joao Martire, a Timorese, was the first Klibur Domin volunteer and was closely followed by Aida de Jesus with Robert Clancy all in September 2000, very early days of the home.

Joao had lived in Australia since the mid 1970’s. He expressed an interest in volunteering at Klibur Domin for four weeks.

Aida de Jesus, another Timorese who had lived and trained as a nurse in Perth, was also interested. Aida seemed to have all the attributes to be the Home Manager, along with her nursing qualifications and experience, her Tetum language skills, and her empathy with the Timorese people and their cause. She had an excellent reference from Fr Brian Morrison who ran a crisis care centre in Perth, and she interviewed well with Evelyn Petters, the then Secretary of the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation in Western Australia. Aida was chosen to be the first volunteer Home Manager.

A friend of Aida’s, Robert Clancy, who was highly recommended by Fr Morrison, decided to travel with her and was given the role of Logistics Manager.Aida and Robert volunteered for ten weeks.

Extract from ‘Klibur Domin – Sharing With Love; a story of the Ryder-Cheshire Home in Timor-Leste 2000-2013’ c2014 by Peter Newton