Overseas Commitments

Some of our Australian sisters work overseas with other IBVM provinces, in partnership with other organisations, or in missions and projects funded by the Loreto Sisters in Australia and Mary Ward International Australia. Each bring their specific gifts to communities and individuals in need.

Courage to Move

If the Gospel of Jesus and Mary Ward’s charism, which we value so much, have a message of hope for all, why not take some risks, however small, in moving out from safe and familiar situations?  Why not try to see if the Institute can build a new home and make a contribution in other cultures, other lands from where it can spread even further? (IBVM, Courage to Move, 2002)

In 2003 all Provinces of the Institute were challenged to recapture the spirit of our founder and reach out to bring this opportunity of the Mary Ward charism to a part of the people of God who had not had the opportunity to meet with it. In the ensuing years there was serious discernment in each province and the process is well under way. The IBVM has in the last three years begun foundations in the Seychelles, Ecuador, Albania, Bangladesh, Ghana, Southern Sudan, Zambia and East Timor or Timor Leste as it is now known.

Timor Leste

As a result of a call from our international leadership team, every ‘province’ or region of the Loreto world wide institute was asked to have ‘the courage to move’. In 2005, our Australian province thought that Timor Leste, so close a neighbour, coming recently from such a traumatic upheaval and with a very young population, might be a place we could make some first steps.

Srs Anne Byrne, Anne Kelly and Diaan Stuart answered the call to begin this new venture. All three sisters had many years of service behind them, all had to begin the local language, Tetun, from scratch, and two had never worked in a foreign country. All had experience in our large and well established schools in Australia, and one sister also had experience working in refugee camps in northern Uganda.

Diaan Stuart (left) and Anne Byrne began work in partnership with the Marist Brothers at the Catholic Teachers’ College in Baucau, and with the Canossian Sisters there, while Anne Kelly (right) began work with a local agency promoting women’s literacy in rural areas. The college was begun in 2000 after the Marist Brothers were invited to commence a teachers’ college by the bishop of the diocese of Baucau which takes in the whole of the eastern region of Timor Leste. In the last three years the sisters have been evacuated twice due to civil unrest. Anne Byrne has since returned to Australia and Sr Natalie Houlihan joined our contingent there in April 2009.

Above: Left: ACU Chancellor Julian McDonald cfc with graduating student Romana Beto from Fohorem 2008. Romana is teaching in her remote village school in the mountains close to the Indonesian border.

Diaan has been teaching at the Teachers’ College in Baucau since 2006. In 2003 the College accepted its first group of student teachers. Prior to 2000, 90% of teachers were from Indonesia and most of these teachers returned to Indonesia after the East Timorese won independence. Thus the need for teacher training was critical. The college accepts applications from all the thirteen districts based on final Year 12 results plus an entrance interview. In 2006 the first students graduated. They had managed to continue studies despite the political difficulties. In 2007, 48 out of the 50 students who began in the second intake graduated and in 2008 only 38 graduated as a number of young students from the western districts did not return after the conflict between east and west that erupted in 2006. This year 53 will graduate as a few of the students from 2006 returned the next year.

Anne Kelly went to Timor Leste early in 2006 to take up a position with a local agency teaching literacy to women in rural villages, however her time was cut short by the sudden outbreak of violence in May, which brought the country close to collapse. She returned later that year and worked as the Education Advisor for a local non government organisation that had a particular focus on improving the health of women and children. A subsequent breakdown in law and order led to her second evacuation from the capital Dili in March 2007.

Read more about Anne Kelly and Diaan Stuart (Aug 2009)

Read about Natalie Houlihan in East Timor (Oct 2009)

Loreto Vietnam

A commitment of the whole Australian Province has been to initiate an ongoing venture in Vietnam: the Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program (LVAP). As an Order, we take responsibility for this outreach, in partnership with local groups in Vietnam and with Australian Volunteers International. The Program has won world-wide acclaim for its well targeted projects to help young Vietnamese students in rural and inner city areas, providing endless educational opportunities; safe housing; supporting vision-impaired children; and launching a highly resourced school for children with intellectual disabilities. Added to the support of the children is LVAP's strong focus on the professional development of Staff in all projects. One sister working in Ho Chi Minh City has negotiated intricate networks of government bodies and involved expatriate Australians. These projects show the difference that one person can make with the support of an influential network, if she has a passion for those who are on the fringes of society.

Thanks to ongoing support from the Australian community, the LVAP program currently has 11 projects underway involving 6000 children. Some initiatives include:

Sunlight House

• physical, medical, educational and social support
• apprenticeship opportunities
• possibilities of reunion with families
• creative experiences through art and sport
• swimming programs
• a safe place to live.

Rural Schools

• scholarship funding
• school uniforms
• new bicycles to transport students to school.

School for Vision Impaired

• opportunity to learn a second language - English
• increased self confidence to attend mainstream school
• development of communication skills.

Sunrise Special School

• developmental activities in music, art, sport, library, rehabilitation and water therapy
• new musical instruments
• modern well equipped computer rooms
• friendly, dedicated and expertly trained teachers
• teachers study English to enhance their professional development.

LVAP celebrates opening of new school (Nov 2009)

In November 2009 LVAP celebrated a major milestone with the opening of the second campus of the Sunrise Special school - Vocational Training Centre. Over 150 guests attended the celebration, including Liz Hepburn ibvm, Principal of St Mary’s College, Melbourne University and member of the Loreto Sisters Provincial Council.
The second campus has been designed primarily for young people in their mid to late teens with intellectual disabilities, who have completed their schooling at the first campus. In time it is hoped the school will partner with local companies to help young people integrate into work.

Above: Students celebrating the opening of the new school

Above: Liz Hepburn with students

For further information about the program please email loreto@hcm.vnn.vn