www.mwia.org.au DECEMBER 2016

TIMOR LESTE Educating the PLUS children of Gari-uai Ways to support MWIA ZAMBIA: For I was hungry P10 and you fed me

/MaryWardInternationalAustralia | /MWIAustralia 2 Contents Welcome to Sustain 3

Message from Kim Working in partnership with the Loreto Sisters CONTENTS across seven countries 2016 has been a year of hope and and poor education opportunities. The 4 Message from the Executive Officer 3 dreams as MWIA continued to community identified there was a need to strengthen our partnership with the bridge the gap in early childhood learning Project update: Timor-Leste 4 Loreto Sisters working to support 15 amongst their children. Responding to sustainable projects across 7 countries. requests by the community, the Loreto Building the first Loreto Pre-Primary School Sisters in collaboration with generous This year we have been witness to and loyal MWIA supporters are not only Volunteer update 7 moving examples of courage and breaking the cycle of poverty by building tenacity by not only our Sisters, but Reflections from a MWIA volunteer the first Loreto Pre-Primary School in the communities in which they work. our neighbouring country, our Sisters are Loreto Rumbek Secondary School Project update: South Sudan 8 also mentoring young teachers in the (LRSS) is one of our newer projects government school. Loreto Rumbek Secondary School that faces huge challenges. Situated in the world’s youngest nation of South These are only two of the stories in this 7 Project update: Zambia 10 Sudan, progress is almost non-existent, edition of Sustain that tell of the courage Baby Milk Project with continuing conflict and the ongoing of our Loreto Sisters who are enabling devaluation of the Sudanese Pound, life-changing and life-giving opportunities. 8 Annual report snapshot 12 Have you visited our poverty and starvation are sadly a way Whether you are a past Loreto student, website yet? of life. LRSS provides a sanctuary and an parent, friend, staff or committee member opportunity to rise above oppression by or loyal supporter, we believe as a Ways to help 14 successfully educating young women in collective group we have an obligation to their boarding school. give back to those less fortunate.

Donate today 15 The result of poverty often sees Every country’s future is in the hands Join us in promoting justice and development education become the victim. In of its children. Living the vision of Mary South Sudan, a 15-year-old girl is more Ward, we work together to empower 10 likely to die in childbirth than she is to communities and educate those children finish secondary school. Of the female most in need. secondary school graduates, only 2% will continue with their formal education. As the Christmas festivities approach However, at LGSS Loreto students have we take this opportunity to extend our a 94% rate of obtaining employment or heartfelt appreciation and Seasons continuing their education. Supporting Greetings to all who have supported this school enables these young women MWIA throughout the year. to have a bright future. With Christmas blessing and good wishes for 2017. www.mwia.org.au Timor-Leste is yet another young nation stepping out from the darkness of Warmly, conflict and recognises that education is vital. With half the population under eighteen and one third of them under

eight. A quarter of all teachers are Kim Nass volunteers. Schools are being built in Executive Officer ABOUT US many regions but resourcing them with Mary Ward International (MWIA) is a skilled teachers is another issue. registered charity and is the Australian and international COVER development organisation of the Loreto Sisters. Loreto Pre-Primary School The Loreto Sisters as always recognise Our Mission is to support the development works students in Gari-uai, and courageously answer the call. The associated with the Loreto Sisters and their colleagues remote area of Gari-uai in Timor-Leste, as they empower women to transform structures and Timor-Leste, love to pose systems that keep them oppressed and marginalised. for the camera. faces similar challenges of poverty Partnership for justice and development

SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au 4 Project update: Timor-Leste 5

Every country’s future is in the hands of its children. In the case of Timor-Leste, 2. a young nation stepping out from under the darkness of conflict, education is vital. Half the population are under eighteen and one third of them under Walking with eight. A quarter of the teachers are volunteers. The Loreto Sisters, with the support of generous donors, are TIMOR-LESTE planning to break the cycle of poverty on the road to one student at a time. The Loreto Sisters recognise the particular gift which Mary Ward, their founder, gave to the world. Mary and PROSPERITY her followers believed in equality for Many ordinary things, in many women and education for all. Despite persecution and opposition, they ordinary places done by ordinary persevered so that these ideals and people, can change the world values could prevail.

Responding to a request by the Bishop and the local people of Gari-uai, a small, remote village located approximately 150 kilometres from the capital Dili, the Loreto Sisters began a project to educate children and provide a place for the community to learn new skills and receive support. Now is the time to support the children of In 2016 the Loreto Sisters began the Timor-Leste receive the education needed to construction of a Pre-School and Community Centre, but it has been a transform their lives mix of highs and lows with building disputes delaying the construction for some months. These challenges have recently been resolved and the building will be completed early next year.

ABOUT TIMOR-LESTE

Population 1.178 million

Only 17% of children attend a 3. public pre-school Images 1: Loreto Australia & South East Asia Province Human Dev. Leader, Margaret Mary Flynn ibvm, walking with students from the local Primary School in Gari-uai. Index ranked 134 The Loreto Pre-Primary School is being built to the right of the Church in the background. 2: Loreto Pre-Primary School students enjoying class Average income time with their teacher, Jovita. 1. earned $5,446 3: Local Primary School students playing at Partnership for $ recess time. justice and development

SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au 6 Project update: Timor-Leste Volunteer update: Katrina Slingo 7 4. Helping others is the gift that KEEPS ON GIVING

MWIA volunteer, Katrina Slingo has Time spent at the Gari-uai local Primary recently returned from Timor-Leste School was a roller-coaster indeed! In the meantime, the interim Loreto where she spent one month volunteering The Grade 1 Students were all so keen Pre-Primary School is progressing with the Loreto Sisters who are building to learn and take everything in, which well with the two local teachers, Sonia the first Loreto Pre-Primary School in meant they loved to touch everything, 2. and Jovita, continuing to develop new the remote area of Gari-uai. answer questions very loudly and skills under the leadership of Sister colour-in vigorously! I became aware Each afternoon the Ponte Leste English Diaan Stuart ibvm. As a 20-year-old student still unsure that developing a strong relationship Club was often filled with excited of my vocation, the decision to take with the students and their teachers students who loved learning phrases In early September a Gap year was an easy one. was vital for progress. Very quickly I such as ‘my favourite sport is…’ or Junior School Principal, Alison Brent, was inspired by their love of learning ‘Professora, can I please go to the accompanied by another teacher, I wanted to incorporate work, and their persistence, especially when toilet?’. I was extremely privileged to Gabby Smith, visited Gari-uai to work volunteering and travelling into my year it came to creating their beautiful art experience their generosity of spirit, with Sr. Diaan to determine how best off study, and Mary Ward International work. Similarly, in the Loreto Pre- especially if I was lucky enough to run they can provide in-service training to Australia, very kindly, facilitated a Primary School, it was amazing to see into them in the market outside of class. the teachers and their two assistants. five-week volunteer experience with the hard work and dedication of the the Loreto Sisters in Timor-Leste. Loreto Sisters reflected in the way the Throughout the year Sisters Natalie children conducted themselves – eager Houlihan and Francine Roberts have I arrived in Dili and was greeted by Sisters to help, kind, constantly laughing (even supported the Grade 1 teachers in Natalie Houlihan and Margie Bourke after a rare episode of tears), and the local government Primary School. ibvm. After driving up the mountain creating wonderful work. A strong relationship has been passing the beautiful setting sun of Timor, established with staff at the school and we reached the Loreto house in Baucau, I was grateful to develop good the hope is this support will continue where we met with Sister Diaan Stuart friendships with the young women with the Grade 2 teachers next year. ibvm and the friendly Belo family who live at Canossa and was lucky enough to 5. next door. The following few days were attend one of their birthday parties Living in Gari-uai is challenging. “Orientation” as Sr. Natalie introduced which involved lots of dancing, cake Despite the village being just 15 me to the community. The welcome and games that ended in many of the kilometres south of Baucau, the roads in each place was filled with kindness, girls on the floor in stitches! are such that it is a 30-minute drive. 6. overwhelming friendliness and interest, Being without running water on tap making me excited to begin volunteering. the community is dependent on a tanker to deliver water every week. 3. The community consumes whatever food is seasonally available in the Outside of all these wonderful local markets; the staple food of the commitments has been the constant Timorese being rice and water spinach mentoring and guidance from the known as kankun. 7. Loreto Sisters with many cups of tea, snacks with the beautiful girl Patricia who lives next door, walks Images and community visits. Sr. Natalie (with Thank you for supporting 4: Children sitting on a wall of the new Loreto Pre-Primary school currently under whom I spent most of my time) was the us on this journey to make a construction. most incredible host – she welcomed sustainable difference by helping 5: Each morning the pre-schoolers love me into her life and the life of the helping collect the water to wash their the children of Gari-uai receive an Timorese community, generously giving hands. so much of her time. education that will undoubtedly 6: Loreto Sister Francince Roberts ibvm helping a Grade 1 student with English. Images impact the lives of future 7-8: Pre-schoolers love to show off their 1-3: MWIA volunteer, Katrina Slingo, enjoying time generations. new new school uniforms and craft skills! with the Gari-uai community and helping to teach children in the local Primary SchoolPartnership and Loreto Pre-for 8. 1. Primary School. justice and development

SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au 8 Project update: South Sudan 9

Creating

BRIGHTER FUTURES New MWIA Project: in South Sudan Masonry Vocational Training Program Loreto Rumbek Secondary School in South Sudan is making a huge impact with the quality of education it delivers 1. 6. despite the internal fighting which continues five years after independence brought an end to two decades of civil war with the north. Loreto Rumbek has two schools: a day Primary School for 542 boys and girls; and a Secondary Boarding School for 201 girls. Loreto also offers a Masonry Vocational Training Program, amongst other Accelerated Learning Programs, which MWIA is proud to support. This project aims to 5. improve employment opportunities for females in a traditionally male now. They love marching. When I dominated profession. asked why they only swung one arm I learned “so you can carry your gun in Through this program Loreto Rumbek the other”. I should have known. Young female adults boarding at the makes its own concrete blocks to be Loreto Girls Secondary School and The diocese of Rumbek also incorporates part of the Diocese used in future construction. 15 senior girls By boarding the students, To add to the limited resources I youth from the Rumbek area have the of Wau, covers an area of 120,000 stayed behind over the recent holiday the school has greatly reduced My remit has expanded to include made a class set of Tangram puzzles opportunity to participate in a three-month square kilometres and embraces a period to participate in the Masonry dropout rates due to early, forced or physics and chemistry: the physics is a to extend the students ability to see vocational program to learn the skills of population of approximately four Vocational Training Program. On the first child marriages, and has eliminated joy, the chemistry is straining my brain. shapes. The kits are so successful that I brick-making and laying of foundations million people. Loreto Rumbek day they made 300 blocks, 50 more any chances of teen pregnancy Recently, I was helping a student, use them as bribes. The students want and superstructures. This program is the only all-girls’ secondary than the men! while at the school. Abuk from Yambio, with a question to keep a set but I want to use them for allows females to explore a traditionally about sinkers, water and corks. other classes when a teacher is absent. male dominated profession which will school in that population which Australian Loreto Sister Maureen significantly improve their employment opened in 2008. Burke ibvm recently returned from After explaining the use of sinkers We have finally learned the truth opportunities and income earning potential. Loreto Rumbek, where she has been 2. when fishing - irrelevant and about the troubles in Wau, caused volunteering. Having worked in western meaningless - Abuk asked, “What is a when rebels attacked the army. The Sydney, with many families from South cork Sister?”. What am I doing?! How government is claiming 40 deaths Sudan, Maureen was drawn to offer can I teach? Our world is on another but the true number is at least 400, 7. QUICK FACTS her skills, for a few months each year, planet. So we went to the lab to find including civilians. There are also 40 teaching students in their war-torn a piece of lead and a cork. Neither children missing with no information homeland. Each day they pray for peace could be found. Last night another about why and where. Many homes National literacy rate: and just leaders. Below Maureen pens Sister found an old cork in the back of were destroyed causing 70,000 people her experiences: a drawer. The next day when I gave it to be displaced. We were told that 27% to Abuk it was like an early Christmas the Jesuits who ran a school there present. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to (it has since closed), were arrested Images Primary School 3. 4. have a container of resources - of very but released when it was discovered 1: Loreto Sister Maureen Burke helping students completion rate: simple things. they were priests. Wau is about 200 with their homework. kilometres from Rumbek which is at 2: Abuk with her school friends at marching practice for Independence Day. They march swinging only 7% I took a photo of Abuk at marching least six-hours away so it is further their target arms, their left arms are free to carry practice as they were getting ready to than it seems. their guns. Female literacy rate: celebrate Independence Day. The entire 3,5,7: Loreto Rumbek Primary School students. school will march into Freedom Square Meanwhile we do maths under trees, 4: Loreto Rumbek Senior students gathering after 16% in Rumbek. The students have organised look for corks, wear wellies and eat Mass. Masonry Vocational Training students embracing practices after school for a few days beans and rice 6: their new skills. Partnership for justice and development

SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au 10 Project update: Zambia 11

For I was hungry and YOU FED ME

Twins Sikota and Ngene

Baby boy Sikota and his twin sister Ngene lost their mother at just three months of age. They are now being raised, with their five siblings, by their father who is a subsistence farmer living on less than AUD$2 per day.

Loreto Sister Patricia Hanvey, who lives and works in Lukulu, a very poor Baby Njamba and remote township in Zambia, recently visited their village. “Sikota Njamba was referred to the Baby was sitting alone on a mat, crying. I Milk Project at five-months by a local picked him up and he immediately hospital. Severely underweight he was stopped and was very content in my described as ‘starving’ by hospital staff. arms - I think he just needed that little His mother, admitted to hospital with bit of tenderness,” Sr. Patricia recalls. sores on her breasts, was, for some time, unable to breast-feed him. “The father is doing an amazing job caring for his children despite the Living six hours from Lukulu, far across For I was hungry odds. To make life a little easier for the Zambezi River, his family had to and you gave me food, him I allow him to come to our Baby stay in town, while Njamba was on the I was thirsty and you gave me Milk Project every two or three weeks program. At 18-months and growing something to drink, I was to collect the milk for the twins well he was discharged from the instead of having to walk for 12-hours program on 23rd August 2016 and a stranger and you welcomed me, each week.” allowed to go home. I was naked and you gave me A special thanks to Loreto College clothing, I was sick and you took This means he only needs to bring the Njamba is just one of 170 babies who, Coorparoo and Loreto Mandeville care of me, I was in prison babies to the program once a month so each year, are assisted by the Baby Milk Hall Toorak for their generous and you visited me. they can be weighed and their growth Project which has been operating since donations towards this life-giving monitored to ensure they are receiving 2006. Sr. Patricia, works tirelessly every project. We invite others to journey - Mathew 25, versus 34-35 the milk formula. They are still small for day to support those most in need, and with us as we work to empower their age but growing well! firmly believes many of these babies women and children with the would not have survived without this support they need to transform project administering vital milk formula. their lives. Partnership for justice and development

SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au 12 Annual Report Snapshot 13

Annual Report Snapshot Current MWIA projects

Australia Timor-leste Vietnam

Project funding by country 1. EMPOWERED TO WORK PROGRAM 7. LORETO GARI-UAI 12. CHILDREN’S LIBRARIES PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL 13. JOHN XXIII SCHOLARSHIPS AUSTRALIA: 1 project TIMOR-LESTE: 1 project 1. 14. IBVM SCHOLARSHIPS : 5 projects VIETNAM: 4 projects 7.

KENYA: 2 projects ZAMBIA: 2 projects

SOUTH SUDAN: 1 project

12.

India Zambia Source of revenue 2. COLLECTIVE VOICES PROJECT 8. BABY MILK PROJECT 3. ETHICAL ENTERPRISES INITIATIVE 9. LUKULU TEACHER TRAINING Individual donors 58.78% FOR YOUTH PPP SCHOLARSHIPS 14. Corporate/Group donors 7.47% 4. ETHICAL ENTERPRISES INITIATIVE FOR YOUTH SJP Loreto schools 28.10% 5. LORETO TEA PLANTATION SCHOOL Other schools 1.66% 6. BRICK FIELD SCHOOLS Loreto network 3.98%

5. 15. TERMINATION OF FEMALE 8. GENITAL MUTILATION

16. NYUMBANI SCHOLARSHIPS

South Sudan Value of projects by theme 10. SECONDARY SCHOOL CAPACITY BUILDING: LORETO RUMBEK SCHOOL Education 35.25% 11. MASONRY VOCATIONAL Ethical Economic Opportunities 28.60% 6. TRAINING PROGRAM 15. Violence Protection, Shelter 20.51% Health 15.64%

Partnership for 10. 16. justice and development

SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au 14 Ways to help Donate today 15

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SUSTAIN Mary Ward International Australia www.mwia.org.au PROVIDES ONE MONTH’S WORTH OF $ NUTRITION FOR ORPHANED AND 40 VULNERABLE BABIES IN ZAMBIA

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