Rheumatic Heart Disease is a major disease endangering the lives of many villagers living in rural and remote parts of East Timor.
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It is mainly brought about by accessing unsafe drinking water, but a group of south-west residents is hoping to bring this to an end.
Water East Timor (WET) raises money to provide these communities with access to safe clean drinking water by piping the water into these villages. This is often done by accessing a spring and piping the water into the village enabling the villagers to access the water from a tap stand erected in locations within the village.
Water tanks located along the way to the village are utilised to provide water to other communities.
Greta Perry, president of the association, said this often meant that women and children no longer had to walk three to five kilometres each way and each day to carry litres of water home.
It also allows children to focus on and obtain an education rather than working to provide their family with water.
Ms Perry said in the past tradespeople from the south west had travelled to East Timor to complete these projects. However, they have taught and passed on their skills and knowledge to a Timorese team called Bahkita Water Team.
Last year WET was able to fund two water and sanitation projects, giving thousands of villagers living in rural villages access to safe clean drinking water.
Later this month the group will host two authors for a fund-raising event.
Best-selling author Heather Morris will be talking about her books The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and Stories of Hope, while former Warrnambool doctor Bill Bateman will discuss his medical crime thriller mystery books.
Melbourne radio personality Derek Guille will host the night, which will be held on Sunday, February 21 at Cafe Lava from 4pm to 7pm.
Tickets cost $46 and are available from Event Brite
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