MILK: Unite with Mothers in Timor-Leste
Posted on: Saturday, June 30th, 2012Milk: Unite with Mothers in Timor-Leste
MILK invites you to support the women and children of Timor-Leste (East Timor), by celebrating the joys and challenges of breastfeeding and motherhood, during World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7.
By participating in MILK, you’ll be helping the Alola Foundation support women and children in Timor-Leste.
MILK was launched on World Breastfeeding Day in 2011 by Kirsty Sword Gusmao – founder of the Alola Foundation and wife of His Excellency Xanana Gusmao, along with hundreds of mothers and babies in Melbourne and Timor-Leste.
It is now an annual event celebrated across both countries during World Breastfeeding Week.
Why should you get involved in MILK?
Timor-Leste is our closest neighbour and one of the poorest countries in the world.
- 1 in 16 Timorese children die before their 5th birthday, compared to 1 in 200 Australian children
- Between 2003 and 2010, 42% of Timorese women who died in the 15-49 age group, died from pregnancy-related causes, compared to 0.6% Australian women
- One third of women in Timor-Leste have no access to antenatal care
- Only half of the women in Timor-Leste are educated
Timorese women and children, with the help of the Alola Foundation, are taking steps to meet these challenges. But we need your help!
How can you participate in MILK?
Go to our Fundraising Page to;
1. Host or attend a MILK Morning Tea during World Breastfeeding Week, 1-7 August.
2. Spread the word by sending the MILK campaign fundraising page by email or via your social media.
3. Donate to the MILK campaign.
MILK Morning Tea
Get together with friends, family or colleagues and host your own MILK Morning Tea in your workplaces or home.
Go to www.everydayhero.com.au/milk_campaign and click on “join this team” to register and set up your own page for the MILK campaign. You can then email this page to friends, family and colleagues to invite them to your Morning Tea.
Virtual MILK
Find MILK on Facebook and Twitter. Join the fun and stay posted with constant updates on the MILK campaign. Spread the word to friends and family via email and social media.
Donate to MILK
Set up your very own MILK fundraising page at www.everydayhero.com.au/milk_campaign and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to support MILK.
Your donation goes a long way in Timor-Leste – did you know for example:
• $10 a week provides nutritious meals for an entire family
• $25 buys an Alola Foundation maternity pack to encourage women to give birth in a hospital or health centre with medical assistance
• $75 per semester buys an Alola Foundation scholarship to keep a girl in primary or secondary school
• $250 per month provides wages for a qualified nurse
• $600 covers one semester of university tuition fees.
The Inaugural MILK campaign
Read about the inaugural MILK campaign (2011) here
You can also have a look at photos from the inaugural MILK campaign here
MILK supporters
Australian Breastfeeding Association
MILK Contact Details
P: 0458 145 165
