EWB-Australia’s Timor-Leste program seeks to improve local access to education, clean water, shelter, and job opportunities. These focus areas are vital for reducing poverty, improving livelihoods and increasing economic growth in Timor-Leste. Yet in tackling these significant issues, EWB’s staff, volunteers and local partners themselves face challenges in accessing basic infrastructure and equipment, such as transportation, telecommunications and electricity.
To help address this resourcing need, WorleyParsons has provided valuable in-kind support to EWB’s Timor-Leste program over the past year, in addition to their broader corporate partnership with EWB. This allows EWB to work more efficiently with local partners and to focus its limited resources on its in-country community projects.
WorleyParsons in Dili, Timor-Leste provides a dedicated office space, training facilities, computers, and internet access for EWB’s Timor-Leste Country Coordinator and other field volunteers. The EWB Country Coordinators play a critical role in delivering EWB&#;s mission in the region by developing strategic engagements, facilitating the placement of Australian volunteers with local educational facilities, humanitarian aid providers, and international development organisations, as well as providing in-country support to the volunteers. This in turn enables EWB and its community partners in Timor-Leste to strengthen local capacity in engineering and technical skills and knowledge, as well as to support and create change at the nexus of community development and the technical sector.
The contribution from WorleyParsons has helped to increase the presence, professionalism and awareness of EWB-Australia in Timor-Leste, as well as assist greater productivity and team collaboration within EWB representatives in Timor-Leste. Being located within WorleyParsons’ office is also mutually beneficial as it increases networking opportunities for EWB in the local technical and construction sector, whilst providing opportunities for WorleyParsons staff to be exposed to and more closely connected to EWB’s local humanitarian engineering work in Timor-Leste.
Globally, engineering and technical fields have played a crucial role in community development towards longer life, better health and increased opportunities. EWB and WorleyParsons continue to work together to provide mutual support and identify areas of interest for collaboration. As an EWB Corporate Partner, WorleyParsons supports opportunities for staff to be engaged with EWB’s Chapters, local programs in Australia, events, overseas placements, and participates in new EWB Initiatives such as the Pro Bono Community of Practice.