News

Sponsor a SkyHydrant in Timor Leste

by Brian Ashworth, posted in News, Timor

Background

During the DAA Conference on the 12th November as important topic was our future aid programs.

Our interest is developing a greater presence in Timor-Leste was helped by presentations of other organisations involved in helping that country.

Following the Conference the DAA board decided that they would extend our ‘Safe Water for Every Child‘ program of ‘Sponsored SkyHydrants’ to Timor-Leste.

We will be working with two new partners; Yooralla Youth Ministeries and WH WASH Consultants as well as continuing to support our existing partner Rotary Projects Timor-Leste East.

Timing

Our plan is for the installation of at least 3 units to June 2023.

For 2023-20224 and beyond we would hope to attract enough support for 10 SkyHydrants every year.

Yooralla Youth Ministries  

The Yooralla Ministries have identified the following sites in the Hera Succo district.

  • Hera.
  • Sidara.

WH WASH Consultants

WH Wash Consultants have identified the village Ossu in the Viqueque district.

Rotary Projects Timor-Leste East

Rotary Projects Timor Leste East, headed by the Rotary Club of Kwinana, have an ongoing program across Timor Leste in conjunction with the Don Bosco Communities.

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia provide safe water to Timor Leste by sponsoring an installation contact us at admin@disasteraidaustralia.org.au to find out more.

Or if you want to donate click on the link below:

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

2022 Conference Report

by Brian Ashworth, posted in News

For the first time since 2019 we were able to run a Disaster Aid Australia Conference.

Chair, Peter Faulkner, Opening Procedings

Celebrating Success

Session one was celebrating some of our successes over the past three years, including the completion of the Bhutan 2020 Project.

We also reported on the recent visit to the Philippines to see the results of our Typhoon response in 2020, and the difference our ‘Safe Water for Every Child Projects had made in Mindanao.

Delivering Aid through COVID

Session 2 provided information about how we continued to deliver international aid through the worst of the COVID pandemic.

Board Member Angeline Low presented on the rebuilding we assisted with in Pamanukan.

Our visitor Raj Guatam from the Rotary Club of Kathmandu told us about the work his club had been doing, assisted by a grant from DAA.

Raj, Talking About Aid During COVID

Session 3

In Session 3 we looked at how Disaster Aid is now ready to emerge from the pandemic.

By continual review of our expenditure we have managed to survive a major drop in income over the past two years (The income drop has been related to the fact that many of the Rotary Clubs that support DAA have been unable to hold fundraising events)

Through the lockdown we have been been able to expand our digital presence through our website, facebook, and over 30 videos on our YouTube Channel.

We have also developed the SkyHydrant GEM Rapid Response Pack which will help improve our future disaster responses.

The session also included a workshop on attracting volunteers.

Session 4

Session 4 concentrated on looking to the future.

Currently for 2022-2023 we have started projects in the Philippines and Bhutan.

We also were able to hear from the Yooralla Mission, and WH WASH Consultants about their proposals for Timor-Leste, a country where we would like to develop a project, starting in 2023-2024.

Dinner

During the dinner CEO, Brian Ashworth, spoke about the many twists and turns in his background that had resulted in him becoming ‘An Accidental CEO!’

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to respond to future humanitarian disasters in developing countries then click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

Safe Water at New Eden

by Brian Ashworth, posted in News

SkyHydrant Installations for 2022 -2023 in Mindanao have commenced with the handover of a unit to Barangay New Eden.

An important part of the handover is the signing of an agreement between the Barangay Council and our partner Balay Mindanaw.

The agreement clearly states the responsibilities of the Barangay to ensure the SkyHydrant is well maintained.

This unit has been sponsored by the South Gippsland Rotary Cluster comprising the Rotary Clubs of:

  • Philip Island and San Remo
  • Wonthaggi;
  • Foster
  • Inverloch:
  • Leongatha
  • Korumburra
Ribbon Cutting

This is the first of 16 units planned for installation this year in Mindanao.

If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to provide safe water in developing countries then click on the link below;

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.

Typhoon Paeng Hits Mindano

by Brian Ashworth, posted in Assisting DAI Partners, Philippines, Smart Aid

Typhoon Paeng (Nalgae) struck the Philippines on Friday with over 40 reported deaths and over 450,000 people afffected.

River Rescue Team In Action

Landslides and severe flooding caused by Typhoon Paeng affected parts of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato City and other parts of Southwestern Mindanao.

Action

The Cotabato team of our local partner, Balay Mindanaw, has already picked up two DAA Skyhydrants to provide safe clean water to affected communities.

These have been installed in evacuation centres.

Children collecting water from emergency SkyHydrant

An assesment team also travelled from Cagayan de Oro on Sunday and will be aiming to identify a community that we can help recover.

Update Monday 31 October

Disaster Aid Australia will be shipping more SkyHydrant units as soon as flights are available.

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If you would like to make a donation to help Disaster Aid Australia deliver aid to those affected then click on the link below:

DONATE

Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.