22 May 2006
Thousands of school children in East Timor will be able to learn about animals, geography and language thanks to a book produced by Monash Science Centre director Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich.
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| Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich in East Timor. |
Professor Vickers-Rich returned this month from East Timor where, with East Timor's First Lady Kirsty Sword Gusmao, she distributed more than 1000 bags containing the books, pencils and sharpeners to schools.
Another 9000 packs will be distributed by the end of the year to more than 80 schools involved in the Friendship Schools Program run by the Alola Foundation, of which Mrs Sword Gusmao is chairwoman.
Professor Vickers-Rich said the schools she visited had no electricity, and in one case, only two walls. "They don't have very much at all," she said. "Some schools have just a blackboard and some chalk."
The colouring book, Animals of the World, is designed for primary and early secondary students and features pictures of animals from East Timor and around the world drawn by Monash Science Centre presenter Andrew Plant.
The accompanying text on the animals and their lifestyles was written by Professor Vickers-Rich and translated into Portuguese and Tetum - the two official languages of East Timor. Dr Roberto Weinberg and Ms Draga Gelt, both from Monash's School of Geosciences, helped with translations and graphics.
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| East Timor's First Lady Kirsty Sword Gusmao. |
An introduction was penned by East Timor President Xanana Gusmao and Kirsty Sword Gusmao.
Professor Vickers-Rich said there were several lessons in the book. "It will hopefully make the students aware of their fauna and that they need to preserve it," she said. "It will give them language skills and there is a world map so they can see where other countries are in the world."
The project, financed largely by money raised at a charity concert featuring Jimmy Barnes and his daughters, follows a 2003 project where Professor Vickers-Rich had similar books distributed to children in refugee camps in Afghanistan.
In both cases everyone involved donated their time and supplies were provided at cost, an example Professor Vickers-Rich said she would like to see more of. "Each and every one of us should be doing something like this because we are so lucky to live in a stable society," she said.
Professor Vickers-Rich was helped in East Timor by her daughter Leaellyn Rich, volunteer Dave Woolbank and the book's production manager Tony Chesher who also organised the concert with production coordinator Anne Chesher and funding coordinator Mike Brooks.
For more information contact Melissa Marino, Media Communications, on + 61 3 9905 2085 or 0437 121 978 or Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich on +61 3 9905 4889 or +61 3 9905 1102. Photographs of Professor Vickers-Rich and Kirsty Sword Gusmao in East Timor are available.
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