Thank you all for your continued support during 2011. The Timpir board is getting very excited as the trip of 3 board members and 2 volunteers draws nearer. In 3 weeks, board members Kuol Baak, Peter Cassidy and myself will be on our way driving from Uganda to South Sudan where we will spend 3 weeks assessing the current Timpir projects and carrying out further work on these projects. We will stay with Kuol’s family in Wäramoth village, where Timpir’s first school has continued to operate. In 2012 Wäramoth Primary will have its first class of Year 7 students which is a very exciting milestone. We look forward to seeing what has been achieved at the school over the past couple of years. In addition, Dr Rosie Marley will be travelling to Wäramoth with us as a volunteer. She will carry approximately 20kg of medical supplies and it is anticipated that during her time in Wäramoth village she will be inundated with visits from local community members seeking medical treatment. Currently people from Wäramoth and surrounds must walk for approximately 2 days to access medical treatment, so during this trip we will also be evaluating the feasability of possibly setting up a small health care centre in Wäramoth or a neighbouring village.
In addition, we will also travel to Mabok (which is approximately 4 hours drive from Wäramoth) where we will visit the second school that Timpir began supporting in early 2011. Schools in South Sudan are currently on summer holidays, and during this time school community members have been volunteering their time (with the financial support of Timpir in purchasing materials and resouces) to build 3 classroom structures at the current school compound. They are aiming to complete these buildings before the Timpir group travels there on February 14th.
The generous donations of Timpir members and supporters to the 2011 Timpir Christmas gift program will enable us to purchase and deliver much needed teaching resources to both Mabok and Wäramoth Primary Schools during our trip there. The Christmas gift program has enabled the purchase and delivery of:
- 8 jerry cans
- 11 stationery sets
- 2 saucepans
- 3 blackboards
- 3 sets of teaching resources.
Timpir is still seeking donations for a further 3 blackboards ($80 per blackboard) in order to equip each of the 6 classrooms (including the 3 new classrooms currently being built) at Mabok primary school with blackboards.
In addition, the donations of Timpir members and supporters to the Wheelchair appeal has enabled Timpir to send money for the wheelchair maker to commence constructing the 10 wheelchairs which Timpir has ordered for people with mobility disorders in the Mabok region. To date, Timpir has raised $2875 of the required $3500 for the purchase of the wheelchairs. We are still seeking to raise the remaining $625. It is hoped that the wheelchairs will be completed and ready for delivery by the time the Timpir group travels there in February.
If you are able to help us with raising the money needed for the 3 blackboards or the wheelchairs, please donate:
1. online at http://www.givenow.com.au/timpir
or
2. through direct deposit to Timpir’s bank account:
Account name: Timpir Inc
Bank: Bank SA
BSB: 105 141
Account number: 0373 28240
or
3. by posting a cheque to
Timpir Donations
PO Box 110
Prospect South Australia 5082.
We look forward to sharing the details of our trip and Timpir’s projects in South Sudan with you on our return in March.
Regards,
Melanie Baak
Chairperson, Timpir Inc.