Donations in Kind (DIK) was recently advised of a large supply of hand sanitiser available in Melbourne at no cost. DIK, never an organisation to refuse such an opportunity, claimed 40 pallets of sanitiser which were quickly earmarked for despatch to the Department of Health in Timor Leste.
The shipment of hand sanitiser would be vital in the fight against COVID in Timor Leste where there was the risk of the pandemics spreading in the many refugee facilities which had been established following the serious flooding caused by cyclonic rain.
Houses, roads, and bridges were washed away, many other roads were impassable, crops were destroyed, and people were in shock at the speed and ferocity of the flooding.
The challenge was to find the funds necessary to get the stock and ship the container as quickly as possible. An appeal to a number of Rotary Clubs quickly solved that challenge and, with additional funds agreed by the Rotary Foundation (TRF), the container was booked, the 40 pallets collected from the donor and the container shipped.
About eight weeks later, the container was cleared from Timorese Customs and the stock was transferred to the Department of Health store for subsequent distribution to the many organisations working in the refugee facilities throughout Timor Leste.
This was a real win, win, win outcome!
The stock did not end up in landfill, Donations in Kind did what it does so well and the people who needed this much needed assistance benefited from the hand sanitiser.
Thanks Rotary, DIK and The Rotary Foundation.
Author: Bob Glindemann