october 5 - 11 | 2016
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Friends across the ocean By KYLIE WILSON
UNITING COMMUNITIES:
Irene Cracknell, one of the members of the Indigo Shire Atauro Island Friendship Committee, with some of the handcrafted items that are made by residents of Atauro Island. PHOTO: Kylie Wilson
GARDENING WITH
DEBBI
RSPCA
WITH
ASHTON
FILM THE GIRL ON
THE TRAIN
WINE TALK WITH
ANITA
INDIGO Shire is a long way from the tropical shores of Timor Leste’s Atauro Island, but a small group of locals are continually working to make a difference for the island inhabitants. Irene Cracknell and Frances Walsh are two of the seven dedicated locals, spread throughout the shire, who have visited the island multiple times and helped build a “very good connection” with the people there. Included in their initiatives is offering two new students each year the chance to continue their education in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste. “Without our help, it simply wouldn’t happen,” Irene said of the group’s efforts to help put island youth through education on the mainland. While the people of Atauro Island have had various ups and downs over the past decades, Irene said it hasn’t dimmed the spirit of the population. “There’s been huge changes,” she said. “But there’s so many positives and it’s so beautiful. “And the island’s a diving mecca, with so much to explore.” Irene said her group was totally selffunded and paid for all the various initiatives through their own fundraising. The friendship has also extended to hosting island residents on visits and tours in the North East, and the group hopes to bring more Atauro Island people out in the near future. Frances, who visited the island seven times, said her connection with the Indigo Atauro Friendship committee started in 2005 when a group of students (Junior Council of Indigo Shire) decided to help other children more in need. continued page |
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