Timor receives much-needed aid from international donors and relies on income from oil deposits, but this is not enough to break the cycle of poverty. There is a need to diversify the Timorese economy to build ‘common wealth’. People in Timor desperately need access to credit to build their economic independence so they can live a more prosperous life. Sadly, most of the food people eat in Timor is imported, and the farming sector needs more support. We can do something about these two challenges, together.
What are we doing?
Timorese co-operators Elsa Pinto and Lanu de Sousa are inspiring people. Elsa is working with farming communities to reduce Timorese reliance on imported food. Lanu has established a grass-roots credit union that is assisting three hundred families to access credit for the first time.
We want to go beyond just making a donation, and wishing Elsa and Lanu well.
This project is about building long-term relationships of friendship, mutuality and solidarity between co-operators in Timor Leste and Australia
While Elsa and Lanu are studying community development at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, 888 Co-operative Causeway will support their work by introducing them to co-operative and mutual leaders and practitioners in Australia and by inviting them to join our co-operative. The crowdfund will cover Elsa and Lanu's co-operative membership fees. Elsa and Lanu want to learn more about Australian co-operatives while they are here in Australia - what better way than joining one? We in Australia can also learn much from Elsa and Lanu - they are building producer (farmer) co-operatives and credit unions from scratch!
Picture: Taken in Dili, Timor-Leste, in this photo one of the savings and loans co-operative members (journalist Raimundos Oki) displaying the investment interest he received at the end of financial year.
Why are we doing it?
"What matters most in life is how we are connected, how we walk together and how we share each other’s knowledge … how we build a society, not just in Timor Leste but also here in Australia."– Basil Varghese, Patron, 888 Co-operative Causeway
This project is about building long-term relationships of friendship, mutuality and solidarity between co-operators in Timor Leste and Australia so that we can learn from each other and support an economically independent Timor through:
- Local Timorese food production – local farmers growing their own food and distributing it throughout the country through the establishment of producer co-operatives
- Timorese people accessing credit – families enjoying easy access to credit so that they can improve their own lives, build homes, send their children to school and start new businesses through the development of savings and loans co-operatives.
"Through this crowdfunding campaign 888 Co-operative Causeway is strengthening person-to-person relationships between young Australian and Timorese co-operators that can support the next wave of sustainable, mutually beneficial economic development that is needed in our region. Co-operatives, as enterprises informed by principles of democracy, open membership and education, empower their members and their communities. I am proud that Alola Foundation, which I Chair, promotes the development of credit, handicraft and agricultural co-ops as a means of womens' economic empowerment in Timor-Leste. I commend 888 for launching this crowdfunding campaign and for working to promote inter-co-operation between the Australian and Timorese co-operative movements." - Kirsty Sword-Gusmao, Goodwill Ambassador for Education of Timor-Leste and founder and Chair of the Alola Foundation
The organisers
888 Co-operative Causeway is the first registered co-operative co-working space in Victoria. More than just a co-working space, we are a network of micro-organisations and freelancers active in the social economy. Among our goals is the desire to collaboratively build a better Victoria for the common good.
How you can help
Donate to our crowdfunding campaign by selecting a reward from the list on the right. We are so grateful for your support!
Thank you to our reward donors:
- Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals
- APHEDA
- Co-operative Bonds
- 888 Co-operative Causeway
- Sorted.
- Jon Osborne
- Armin Honarasa
- Jacinta Cubis
- Kirsty Sword-Gusmao
Crowdfund housekeeping
- Donations are not tax deductible.
- If you wish to make a donation with no reward, click on support this project on the campaign page, select No Rewards and enter the amount.
- Any rewards, including rewards of advice or services, come with no warranty or guarantee from 888 Co-operative Causeway Limited.
- For product rewards, 888 Co-operative Causeway Limited will cover the cost of postage in Australia. If you want a reward delivered outside of Australia please contact us.
- For service/advice rewards, please take note of where the donor of the reward is located before selecting e.g. reward does not cover travel costs to another city or state or other out-of-pocket expenses (in some cases special arrangements can be made - contact us with any questions)
- Contact us with any queries you have: [email protected]
