Personal
Message & Greeting
Dear Friends,
When I became First Lady of East Timor nothing could
have prepared me for such a dramatic shift in lifestyle and
responsibilities.
Nowadays, I am sought out to be patron of this and a member
of the board of that. I guess it is the lot of First Ladies
worldwide! The endless meetings aside, it is very important
to me to be involved and to contribute to a broad range of
initiatives of civil society which has, of course, a vital
role to play in national reconstruction and development.
Tremendous expectations exist of East Timorese women and their
ability to contribute to the social and economic life of their
families and communities and yet they are accorded little
acknowledgment and granted very little power in public and
political life. I set up the Alola Foundation in response
to the great needs of East Timorese women and their families
because I believe that my situation affords me the profile
and opportunity to do something concrete.
There is so much still to be done in East Timor to restore
the most basic services. Every area is a priority, the renewal
of one sector depending on the recovery of another. The needs
of the people are overwhelming and Xanana and I grapple with
them at a very personal level each day. Most days we have
little time to enjoy one another’s company or that of
our three boys, Alex, Kay Olok and Daniel. Nevertheless, I believe that
having young kids in our circumstances helps to keep us grounded
and focused on the future.
I hope that through Alola you can find a way to help me help
the women and children of East Timor.
Best wishes
Kirsty Sword Gusmão
|
Wife of the first President of the independent
nation, Kirsty Sword-Gusmão,
fulfils the role
expected of her
by the people and
government of East
Timor in large part
through the Alola Foundation.
The Alola Foundation is able to mobilize
from amongst the international community much needed assistance
for vulnerable groups within the East Timorese community,
particularly women and children. |
