Archived Media Releases: 11 May 2007
International Nurses Day | The Australian Nursing Federation marks International Nurses Day, May 12, supporting nurses in East Timor
As part of International Nurses Day celebrations the ANF is calling on the Australian Community to join them in supporting East Timor nurses.
Jill Iliffe, ANF federal secretary said; “As a result of recent violence in East Timor, 81 nurses had their homes burned to the ground or destroyed by vandalism. These nurses remain without adequate housing for themselves or their families and are living in dangerous and difficult conditions as they work to deliver health care to the East Timor community. For some of the nurses who had their homes destroyed, it was the second time they had lost their homes.”
The ANF $5+ appeal aims to raise at least $400,000 - the cost to rebuild the homes of the East Timor nurses.
“Australian nurses are part of a broader international community and care about the struggles of nurses in other countries,” Ms Iliffe went on to say. “We have already received strong support for this appeal from Australian nurses and we are hoping the Australian community will celebrate International Nurses Day by helping us reach our goal of $400,000.”
The average income for a nurse in East Timor is only AUS $190 per month. It costs around AUS $5,000 to rebuild a home in East Timor. Most nurses in East Timor do not have bank accounts; they do not have savings; they do not have the necessary collateral to secure a bank loan; or the necessary income to repay a loan if it were available.
Anyone can donate to this appeal through the ANF website at www.anf.org.au. All donations above $2 are tax deductible.
International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth in 1820.
Media Contacts
Jill Iliffe, Federal Secretary 0419 576 590
Ged Kearney, Assistant Federal Secretary, 0417 053 322
The ANF, representing 150,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia