December2012 - Signpost Magazine

East Timorese Librarians
Visit Emerald Library
By Sandra Smith
Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation and the Emerald
library in conjunction with the Friends of Emerald
Library have hosted a visit by Adalino and Elisabeth,
two librarians from a newly established library in Emera, East
Timor.
Adalino and Elisabeth have recently been based at the
Endeavour Hills Library experiencing a large library service and
getting the feel for practices they may be able to take back to East
Timor.
In November they visited Emerald Library where they
discussed outreach methods with the new team leader Sandra
Smith and enjoyed a tour of the library and Emerald surrounds.
In East Timor, Elisabeth and Adalino have the challenge of
outreaching to their communities and teaching families about
the value of reading to their children, often under difficult
circumstances. Sometimes they have to walk for three hours
to reach a village, inaccessible by car or motorbike, and often
carrying books. They also take along technology in the form of
a laptop to play DVDs to parents about how to read to children
and why it is important.
Their new library, stocked with books from donations from
Australia, holds two story time sessions a day with 20 to 30
Building an OPEN Orphanage
Local Cockatoo woman, Carol Emanuel, spent
seven weeks in 2006 in a village called
Munga, Mozambique delivering a family
health seminar on subjects such as prevention
of contagious diseases. Her interpreters were
Sylvia and Chico Nhamauta. She was shocked
to see so many children made orphans from the
effects of AIDS and Tuberculosis.
Chico and Sylvia currently support 25 local
children (two to 18 years), and their own four
children, with meals, schooling, health and recreation
from their home. Most of the children have lost
both parents and others one, and live with relatives
who are ill themselves and unable to support them
adequately.
In July 2012 Chico and Sylvia shared their vision
with Carol to build an OPEN orphanage called
Grace Center, in their community; a AUD $30,000
undertaking. An OPEN orphanage is a purpose
built facility for children they care for.
In support of Grace Center, Carol is raising
funds to build the vision. Hereis how you can help:
Purchase 15 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm concrete blocks for
the building at 0.85 cents each (5,500 are needed.)
For more information go to www.
gracecentermozambique@wordpress.com, email
Carol at gracecentermozambique@gmail.com or
give her a call 0400 837066.
6 Signpost Community Magazine Inc. - December 2012 Volume 104
Sandra Smith with East Timor visitors Elisabetha and Adalino
families attending, proving how popular the program is.
They promote the library at local health centres, markets and
schools, which they get to on their motorbikes.
The team at Emerald Library were delighted to share in their
experiences.
Chico & Sylvia's family
Inspiration for Living
By Helen Steiner Rice
A better world for all mankind
Where we are safe and free
Must start not with
our fellowmen
But within the heart of ‘me’.
From heaven the Lord looks
down and sees all mankind
Psalm 33:13
Today live by the rule that
‘peace in the world begins with
me and within me’.