THE Country Women's Association (CWA) of WA held its open day last week, with visitors and prospective members travelling from near and far to see what the organisation was all about.
CWA members took the opportunity to show off their skills in cooking and crafts and talk to visitors about some of the valuable causes the organisation throwed its weight behind.
Former CWA of WA international co-ordinator Sara Kenny spoke to Farm Weekly about one such cause, an aid project in Timor Leste.
For the past three years members of the CWA of WA have participated in self-funded trips to Timor Leste to provide aid to less advantaged communities through projects organised by Bethany Beckett, of Maluk Timor, an organisation aimed at improving the country's health services.
Dr Beckett set up projects for CWA volunteers at clinics and schools around Dili, as well as at Casa Vida, a home for abused girls.
"The police or medical services bring girls to the home, sometimes as young as 12, that are pregnant and destitute and victims of family violence," Ms Kenny said.
"Casa Vida make sure their babies are delivered safely and also keep the girls there to teach them employment skills, such as sewing, hairdressing and hospitality, to help build up their confidence and give them skills to make a living.
"When we went there, the CWA ladies taught them recipes for pastries to sell in their restaurant."
CWA members make and donate an assortment of requested items towards the cause, including Days for Girls kits for menstrual health, baby wraps, Indonesian-style nappies, baby clothes, educational supplies and medical supplies.
"An invitation is sent to all members to participate in the trip and we have a packing up day at the State office before we go, where everybody fills their bags with very few of their own clothes and lots of donations," Ms Kenny said.
"This October we had 13 people go and take hundreds and hundreds of kilos of donated items.
"We also received donations of cash to help purchase materials such as paints for murals, building supplies as well as to provide aid for women in this region."
CWA of WA is part of the South Pacific region of the Associated Country Women of the World organisation (ACWW), which consists of similar organisations of women in just under 100 countries internationally, which represent about nine million women.
Each year, CWA members attend the conference for the South Pacific area of ACWW to see how they can assist.
"Typically, women from the wealthier associations in the same region, in our case Australia and New Zealand, give aid to the less advantaged women in countries in the same region, which for us includes Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea," Ms Kenny said.
Timor Leste is just one aspect of CWA of WA's international work, with the organisation also donating funds to other worthy causes in Papua New Guinea and islands in the Pacific region.
To learn more about CWA of WA or become a member visit cwaofwa.asn.au.
