Just a few thousand dollars will bring a touch of joy to a struggling community in Timor-Leste.
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City of Ballarat councillors approved $7500 to go towards a playground in the small mountain town Ainaro.
This matches the $7500 fundraised by the Ballarat Friends of Ainaro Community Committee.
Councillors also acknowledged the 20 year anniversary of the Friendship City Relationship.
Councillor Belinda Coates said it was big achievement.
"I was on the very first delegation as part of the signing of the friendship agreement 20 years ago, before I was a councillor," she said
"It does feel really good to be in this position where that relationship has endured and it's still really strong 20 years later."
Cr Coates said when the agreement was first signed there was a "strong and heartfelt commitment" for the partnership.
Timor-Leste still has a great deal of poverty following it's war for independence from 1975 to 1999.
In 2002, it was declared independent after a UN-sponsored referendum in August 1999.
Cr Coates said the contribution to the community cannot be "understated".
"The things that we take for granted here, are very difficult [in Timor-Leste]," she said.
"The condition of the schools, playgrounds barely exist in in the regions, footpaths don't exist. There is very little in the way of sporting infrastructure.
"In many areas there, they struggle with clean water and those sorts of thing."
Cr Coates said the committee has raised tens of thousands of dollars over the past 20 years for the "betterment of the community".
"The Friends of Ainaro are really deeply embedded in the principle of community development around this project," she said.
"They are working in such close collaboration, really listening to the community over there and getting their direct input in the design."
The City of Ballarat funds will be drawn from the 2023/24 Cultural Partnerships budget.
The playground project is expected to be complete in multiple stages, with the initial $15,000 to cover the first stage.
Ballarat mayor Des Hudson said he was proud to be able to contribute something meaningful to Ainaro on the 20th anniversary
"We treasure our meaningful relationship with Ainaro that has now existed for two decades," he said.
"It might seem like a small gesture, but it is something that can be so important to a town like Ainaro, so we are proud to lend our support."
The mayor, a councillor and a council officer will also travel to Ainaro later this year to mark the 20th anniversary.
The anticipated costs for the exchange visit to Ainaro is about $12,440. This comprises flight and accommodation fees for one councillor and one council officer.
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