Leavers visit Timor

Margaret River leavers have returned from spending their end-of-year break making a difference in East Timor.

The Margaret River Rotary program, now in its eighth year, involved 13 students and three Rotarians spending two weeks undertaking humanitarian work.

The crew spent a week in Dili working at an impoverished orphanage where they helped build a kitchen shelter, carried out maintenance on the boys’ dormitory, and established a kitchen garden.

In the second week, the graduates visited Atauro Island, the site of past leavers visits, where they erected a cover for a well built by students in 2015.

They also spruced up previously installed playgrounds at village schools and helped commission and operate a new plastics recycling plant.

Rotarian Brian Warren singled out the Leeuwin Lions Club for helping fund this year’s trip.

Donations from the Lions would “support a work program at the orphanage and provide washing machines, vegetable seeds and seedlings for the kitchen garden,” Mr Warren said.

“A key to the success of the trips is the co-ordination and funds from Rotary Margaret River and funding support from three partner Lions clubs — Leeuwin, Cowaramup and Margaret River,” Mr Warren said.

“Without the great ongoing support of all four clubs and the local community these trips would not happen.”