Category Archives: Volunteering

Dental Program, KD Volunteers, Klibur Domin, News, SA Foundation, Volunteering

An Australian Team of Dental Volunteers visited Timor-Leste in July 2018.

This is Their Story!

Our Dental Team of Dentist Dr John Denton, Hygienist Lyn Carman, and Dental Assistant Jodie Billinger, arrived in Dili full of excitement and anticipation. We were met at the airport by Joaquim Soares, Director of Klibur Domin, and Patricia McDonell, our Rotary Team Leader. Joaquim shepherded us through customs with our 90 kilograms of dental instruments and supplies. We had each filled our cases full of dental stuff and carried all our clothes for the 10-day adventure in our back packs. We quickly made ourselves at home in the new, very comfortable, Klibur Domin volunteer cottage.

Next morning, we were keen to meet our new local Dental Therapists, Efi, Luis and Maria. Luis and Maria graduated from Dili University, and Efi did a similar course in Indonesia. Their training enables them to perform simple diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases, including fillings, extractions, Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) use, scalings and oral hygiene instruction (OHI).

Dr Ian Ridley and I were very pleased when these local clinicians came on board the KD Dental Clinic Project. Co-operation between Maluk Timor and KD has advanced the KD Dental Project three to four years ahead of our projections. Our Australian volunteer dental team roles have changed from us doing everything, to doing some of the operating and much more mentoring; a role we found very satisfactory and satisfying. Efi, Luis, Maria and Juvita, a student Dental Nurse, were very keen to learn from us and eager to help us with translating and support. Continue reading An Australian Team of Dental Volunteers visited Timor-Leste in July 2018. →

Disablity Programs, KD Volunteers, Klibur Domin, TB Programs, Volunteering

Time at Klibur Domin

RCA Volunteer Martin with Klibur Domin staff in July 2018

I recently returned from six months volunteering at Klibur Domin, from February to July 2018. It was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience and I would strongly encourage anyone with even a short amount of time to make the journey to Timor-Leste to see Klibur Domin (KD). I spent most of my time supporting the administration, although every day was a little bit different and over my time there I ended up with great variety of activities both in and out of the office.

I have been thinking about what really grasps me the most about Timor-Leste and KD. The solidarity and teamwork of KD’s staff and the passionate efforts of supporters have been inspirational, and the beauty of the country, its mountains, its coastlines and its oceans have all had a great impact.

Klibur Domin’s Community Based Rehabilitation program manager Gregorio and physical therapist Manato walk along a mountain trail to reach a house which is inaccessible to vehicles.

Going out into the community with KD’s Tuberculosis (TB) and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) teams made clear the scale of the work KD is undertaking to address healthcare needs in Timor-Leste. It is easy to underestimate the distances and the time needed to reach patients in Timor-Leste.

A large proportion of the communities impacted by KD are in the mountains and as a result there is a tremendous logistical component to KD’s community work. To illustrate the vertical scale of Timor-Leste’s mountainous terrain, the ocean trench off the coast is 3,000 meters deep, and the narrow island rises to 3,000 meters above sea level at its peak. This makes it both a beautiful and challenging country. Continue reading Time at Klibur Domin →

Ballarat S G, Disablity Programs, News, Raphael, Raphael Volunteers, Volunteering

Josie and her Family at Raphael

 

We went as a family to volunteer at Raphael (Ryder Cheshire Foundation) in Dehradun, India. It was Molly’s idea which then took hold.

Molly (20), was on summer holidays from university, Roland (17), had just finished school and did not wish to take a gap year but accepted this challenge; I was eligible for long service leave from Maternal and Child Health Nursing and Rick, a self-employed builder, could manage his time. As well as volunteering with special needs children and assisting with a humanitarian orgaisation, we hoped to experience India in a true and meaningful way.

As Raphael was closed for Christmas holidays, our month of volunteering there would start mid-January. So, we planned three weeks of travel and sight-seeing beforehand. It was winter time in India. Our journey started in Kolkata so that we could spend a few days with our old exchange student, Deeksha, and her family. They were wonderfully hospitable and introduced us to the food of West Bengal, took us to a wedding celebration and to New Year’s Eve events in Kolkata. It was a happy start to our holiday. Continue reading Josie and her Family at Raphael →

KD Volunteers, Klibur Domin, TB Programs, Volunteering

Vale Danny Standish of RCF Victoria

Danny died suddenly and peacefully on Wednesday 14th March 2018.

Danny joined Ryder-Cheshire when the new home was started in Timor-Leste in late 2000. Initially she helped with sorting and packing donated goods ready for despatch to Klibur Domin. Subsequently she spent six weeks there as a volunteer, arriving a few days after Christmas 2000. Her nursing skills were put to good use setting up medical procedures and records and she is pictured here admitting the first patients to Klibur Domin on 31 January 2001.

Danny was an important member of the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation Victoria team, always positive, cheerful and very capable, and was active right up until her death. Her contribution involved support for many fund-raising endeavours, including her special project, organising visits to the Costume Collection. She also took on being the official archivist and spent many hours sorting, conserving and cataloguing a jumble of archival material – now in apple pie order. Of great importance in her life were her beloved daughters and grand-children. Danny was loved and is sadly missed. Rest in Peace

News, Victorian Homes, Volunteering

Vale Sr Mary Myers CSB

 

Sr Mary Myers passed away suddenly and quietly on 30 July 2017.

Sr Mary was Houseparent (Resident Carer) at the Ryder-Cheshire Victorian Homes and is well remembered by past residents as a compassionate, yet strong and decisive person.

Her first period at the home was from January 1990 to August 1995. This was followed by a period of sabbatical leave during which she visited Raphael and spent time in the UK at Cavendish, working with Sue Ryder and serving at other homes in the UK. Mary returned to Ivanhoe from January 1997 – April 2002 when she retired.

Soon after retiring she went to Klibur Domin as a volunteer. Unfortunately, a broken leg meant a trip back to Australia to recover, then she returned to Klibur Domin for a further short period in 2003.

In 2004 Mary assisted for a short time in WA as House-mother at the Perth Barbara Seabrook House. Her assistance being greatly appreciated by the RCF WA Foundation.

Mary subsequently provided continuing support to Ryder-Cheshire on the Op Shop roster at Mount Waverley, was an asset to the Ryder-Cheshire team at fund-raising trivia nights, and maintained her connection with the Victorian Homes.

Mary’s life epitomised the spirit of Ryder-Cheshire and we miss her presence and staunch support.