In March 2006 the BBC Lifeline team came to Timor Leste to film an appeal on behalf of ASSERT and the Cambodia Trust.
The Lifeline appeal was broadcast on BBC television in September, bringing the work of ASSERT to a wide audience.
Our grateful thanks to BBC Directors/Producers Jill Dawson and Stephanie Harvie, Presenter Nick Clark, Anna Ibbotson and everyone on the Lifeline production team, for helping us to raise awareness and vital funds for our work.
These are the stories of the people featured in our BBC Lifeline appeal....
Juliana
Like two thirds of the population, Juliana has little access to clean water, sanitation or healthcare.
Her mum didn't have enough to eat while she was pregnant. There was no medical help during a difficult birth and she was lucky to survive at all. A lack of oxygen left Juliana suffering brain damage – she was born with cerebral palsy.
Juliana is seen here with Louise Maher, Senior Physiotherapist at TLSPR. Physiotherapy is a vital part of rehabilitation for people affected by cerebral palsy. Thanks to ASSERT and TLSPR, Juliana can now look forward to a better future – she gets regular physiotherapy and her parents have been taught how to carry on the good work at home.
Diana
Diana almost died of cerebral malaria as a child. The disease left her unable to walk properly and with a weak arm. But months of therapy are now paying off.
Just a year ago Diana’s disability trapped her at home – without friends and without hope.
Thanks to ASSERT, the future’s looking brighter. With a leg brace and ongoing physiotherapy, Diana’s now doing what so many other children take for granted – she’s going to school.
“I love going to school", she says, "I’ve made so many new friends.”
Photo: Diana with her Mum and Nick Clark, BBC Lifeline Presenter.
Matteus
In l991, during the occupation, Matteus was just a teenager. He got caught up in a massacre which made global headlines and brought the plight of East Timor to the attention of the rest of the world.
“I was in a funeral procession and suddenly the military opened fire and killed hundreds around me. It was terrible what happened. They shot me and I lost my right leg. I don’t know how I survived.”
Years later Matteus was one of the first people to receive help at ASSERT’s new rehabilitation centre, TLSPR. His prosthetic limb is regularly checked and adjusted.
Matteus was so impressed by his treatment that he recommended the centre to other disabled people. And now he works for ASSERT full time.
Teresa
Teresa’s life was shattered when a car crash left her with severe spinal injures. She was abandoned, left lying in bed, growing weaker for 8 long years.
Teresa is just one of many thousands of disabled people who had to suffer in silence for decades without proper healthcare, during Indonesia's brutal occupation of East Timor.
Now, at last, Teresa has reason to smile.
At TLSPR she has been fitted with orthopaedic braces and is learning how to walk again with the help of a trained, local physiotherapist.
Francisco
Francisco lost his hands and feet as a result of leprosy. On the island of East Timor, the disease is rife, with infection rates as high as 80 in 1,000 in some communities compared to an international average of 1.5 per 1,000.
There are thousands of people like Francisco who desperately need help so they can get involved in community life.If caught in time, leprosy does not cause disability. But Francisco suffered for years without help. He lost all self-esteem and was forced to live on the fringes of his community.
Francisco is at last receiving support. A special attachment has been made for him so that he can feed himself - and begin to regain his dignity and independence.
If you would like a DVD copy of the Lifeline film to help raise funds and awareness for our work, please email Dee at the Cambodia Trust: office@cambodiatrust.co.uk