Stuart Thomson, CEO East Timor Hearts Fund

East Timor Hearts Fund - Saving One life is Just as Important as Saving Many

At East Timor Hearts Fund our motto is simple - We Mend Broken Hearts. Over a number of years now East Timor Hearts Fund has been sending volunteer medical teams to Timor-Leste to run clinics and subsequently bring Timorese patients to Australia for life saving surgery. There are many reasons underpinning our work and commitment to the people of Timor-Leste. They fought alongside us during WWII protecting our boarders from advancing enemy troops. Today they have some of the highest rates of Rheumatic Heart Disease in the world. They were there for our hour of need and we should be there for theirs. It is what we Aussies do.

But saving lives is not just about giving a chance for an individual, family or nation to survive, it instills a sense of hope and allows people to thrive. It builds confidence for people to invest in themselves, in their families and their communities.

Stuart Thomson, CEO for East Timor Hearts Fund has spent many years living and working in developing countries. He has seen this dynamic of hope through saving lives unfold in front of his own eyes. During his talk Stuart will share his experiences from his work in Africa, Central America, Asia and now in Timor-Leste. Saving lives is not just our moral duty toward one of our closest neighbours but makes good development sense. Saving one life is indeed just as important as saving many.