Dr Lois, Barrack Obama and The Daily Show!

We couldn’t be prouder of our Dr Lois who has been featured on The Daily Show with former president Barrack Obama and daily show host Trevor Noah!

The future leaders worked together to understand how they can learn from each other to enable improved education, health, and economic opportunity in underserved communities. With Dr Lois representing the entire Asia Pacific region, travelling to New York along with representatives around the world to be interviewed by Trevor Noah and Barrack Obama

Dr Lois speaking to Barrack Obama and Trevor Noah

A once in a lifetime opportunity

Dr Lois was admitted to the Obama foundation Asia Pacific Leadership (OFLAP) programme with 34 other young people from the Asia pacific region who are making positive changes in their communities.

“The program consisted on 6 months of virtual programming in leadership and cohort development, and yes they did fly me to New York.” said Dr Lois noting that main impact from her experience was  “seeing the power of community to create change for good.”

When we asked Dr Lois what it was like meeting Obama, she said:

“Of course all of us were nervous especially as a lot of these opportunities were quite spontaneous. The only thing that gave me the courage or boldness to take the opportunity was what I always tell my Team Leaders- when you stand to speak about what we do at Maluk Timor, it’s not about you and you’re not standing alone. You’re speaking for the communities and families of the patients and healthcare workers and they deserve for people to hear their story.”

 

A refreshing focus on solutions

As mentioned in the interview video, Dr Lois also loved the focus on solutions, not appearance within her cohort.

“Yes, from the start the emphasis of this programme is not mobilisation around a superstar personality, rather the focus is squarely on the collective community that is dedicated to addressing the problems we see in our world today.” said Dr Lois

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for

Perhaps the most powerful learning Lois has brought back from her experience in the Obama foundation is the empowering statement – “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for”.

We have seen a huge transition in the skills, experience and confidence of our ever-growing knowledge and experience of our staff and alumni.

A powerful message of recognition

This Christmas, we need to recognise that the Maluk family are the change we have been waiting for. We continue to inspirationally support  “healthcare in the place, for the place, by the place” as succinctly put by Trevor Noah.

The Obama Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by former United States President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Its mission is to inspire and empower people to change their world. The foundation focuses on developing the next generation of leaders and promoting active citizenship.

Check out the video below, and if you just want to skip to the bit with Dr Lois jump to  4:42

 

 

Help us do even more

Even though healthcare in Timor-Leste has improved, there is still so much more to do.  

A small amount of money goes a long way with the per person health budget less than US$100 per year. 

$24

Covers the cost of petrol for a month so a healthcare worker can provide home visits around Dili.

$58 p/month

in 12 months

Covers the cost of running a nutrition referral project in one community healthcare centre.

$650 p/month

Covers the full cost to employ a nurse who can help deliver our programs.