Timor-Leste Trip Reflections
While most of us were enjoying the opportunity to have a breather with the Public holidays over Easter and Anzac Day, a team of 4 were working hard in Dili in Timor-Leste.
For Abbey Pryde, owner of salon Abbey& Co in Subiaco, it was her first trip with an EmpowerAid team. Here's her reflections on it:
"Where do I start? East Timor … You surprised me, the smells, the scenery and the culture are just beautiful. Whether you are strolling down the white sand beaches (yes, a couple of us did get a quick break to the beach) or in a taxi going from A to B ( traffic can always be a challenge away from home), Timor felt very welcoming, safe and somewhat content.
Pro Ema, the local NFP where we did our volunteer training, was a place of peace and happiness for the most grateful and loving group of girls I have ever met. Every day at Pro Ema we were greeted with big smiles, hellos and excitement. If turning up to class an hour before it began isn’t a sign of excitement, then I don’t know what is! From the word go, these girls were eager to become hairdressers like us. It was clear to me how much of an impact we can have on one another - even if you don’t speak the same language you can still inspire each other.
I will never forget their faces when they held their scissors for the first time, half of them were upside down. Amongst the giggles, they helped each other get it right and were all so excited.
Although it was hard to suck up the cold showers at first and the sweaty heat, it was always soon forgotten the moment we began our days at Pro Ema, and I guess this is why I will definitely be back. EmpowerAid is about empowering women and not only did it empower the girls at Pro Ema, but also me in more ways than I could have imagined. I can’t wait for my next visit and I can’t stress enough how valuable this trip was for myself and the girls we taught. If you have always wanted to do something like this then just do it, I promise you will never fully understand how inspiring or valuable you are until you do."
