Helping those who helped us
I WAS shocked to read in a Journal article in April that in Papua New Guinea one in 12 children die before their fifth birthday.
Those who do survive face a daily battle to receive what many children in Australia take for granted – clean water, shelter, adequate nutrition and education.
Trek 4 Education, which was founded by Keysborough couple Mark and Julie Capper, raises money for school supplies, which are distributed to children along the Kokoda Track. Many of the children are the direct descendents of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels who provided Australian troops with care and support during World War 2.
The Cappers are preparing to lead a trek along the track in September. It will be the third time Mark has completed the arduous journey.
Last month the couple held a fund-raising event at the Dandenong RSL.
A highlight was the presence of Kokoda Track veteran Jack Duffy and his wife Edna.
Guest speaker Alan Jameson, vice-president of the 39th Battalion Association, talked about the role the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels played in assisting Aussie troops and interviewed Jack about his memories of the track during wartime.
Mark said the people of the Kokoda Track had touched their hearts.
“Their friendly smiles and wonderful hospitality during our treks have been one of the many highlights. Anyone who treks the Kokoda area will soon appreciate what these people did for our diggers during WW2,” he says on the Trek 4 Education website.
The couple welcome help from any sources in their trekking endeavours. They ask people to pass on the word, donate or join them on their inaugural trek.
Julie and Mark show that with drive, passion and determination it is possible to make a difference.
I with them all the best for their trek and I am sure the delight on the faces of chidren as they receive such simple items as pens, rulers and pencils will be more than ample reward.
GIRL POWER
The next South East Business Network Showcasing Women in Business breakfast on June 13 will feature fascinating guest speaker Diana Patterson.
Diana was the first woman in the world to lead an Antarctic Research Station. Her presentation will cover the barriers she overcame to achieve her ambition, the challenges she faced in working in such an hostile environment and her experience running a boarding house for orphans in a remote village in the Kalahari.
There are so many wonderful woman in the City of Greater Dandenong achieving great things. The SEBN breakfasts are a great opportunity for women to network and learn about leadership, ambition and empowerment from diverse guest speakers.
