Balibo Five Brother Paul Stewart Launches National Campaign To Help Disabled East Timorese Kids

Balibo Five Brother Paul Stewart Launches National Campaign to Help Disabled East Timorese Kids

With the national release of the award winning film 'Balibo' (the story of five Australian journalists murdered in East Timor in 1975) Paul Stewart, brother of Balibo Five journalist Tony Stewart, launches a national appeal to help raise money for children with disabilities living in East Timor.

Paul Stewart who has been an active supporter of Timor-Leste for 25 years has turned his support toward helping hundreds of children with disabilities by raising vital funds to purchase essential equipment for a small group of Timorese Nuns working in the region.

"Raising a disabled child is tough enough in Australia, but in one of the worlds newest and poorest nations, its just a nightmare," said Paul Stewart.

Four Nuns of the ALMA Order ('Asossiasi Lembaga Misionaris Awam' meaning Association of Lay Missionaries for the poor and the disabled) are inspired by the work of Mother Teresa.

The ALMA Order Nuns travel around Dili on a single motor scooter, struggling to provide hundreds of children with disabilities with free, essential physiotherapy in the hope that they can improve mobility and the quality of life for these children and their parents.

"In their work looking after disabled children, these four amazing women are fighting a constant battle against the odds to treat the number of disabled Timorese children who, in their society are described as ,,the lowest of the low, Stewart said.

All fully qualified physiotherapists, in addition to providing free therapy the ALMA Nuns are also teaching parents basic physio to enable them to continue to help their own children to improve movement and flexibility.

"What we have now is hundreds of disabled children, four nuns and one tiny motor scooter. They desperately need a car," said Paul Stewart.

"But with the help of the Australian people I know we can raise the money needed to purchase of a suitable vehicle and essential equipment to help the Nuns in their vital work in Dili, East Timor," Stewart said.

Stewart urges all Australians to help these kids by making a donation today. Please send your donation to: ALMA Nuns East Timor C/O The Jesuit Mission, PO Box 193, North Sydney NSW 2059 AUSTRALIA.

To interview Paul Stewart or arrange photo, please contact:
Clare Collins Insight Communications
Ph: 02 9319 3844
Mob: 0414 821 957
E: [email protected]


SOURCE: Insight Communications