The Wiggles need no introduction - over the last 30 years, their colourful skivvies, catchy songs, and fun dance moves have brightened countless Australian households.
For decades, they’ve brought big smiles to the Aussie kids, and as UNICEF Australia Ambassadors, they recently had the chance to share that same joy with the children and families of Timor-Leste.
Having hosted a benefit concert for Timor-Leste back in 2008 as newly announced ambassadors, their recent visit with the UNICEF Australia and Timor-Leste teams felt like a full circle moment.
"The Wiggles did a big show in Sydney and we had all these Australian celebrities come and play with us and raise money for Timor-Leste. UNICEF put that money to such good work, that it's so good to come here and see these wonderful children," said Anthony Field, the Blue Wiggle.
In Timor-Leste, The Wiggles visited educational programs, saw water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, learnt about gender equality initiatives and met the warm and welcoming children and families of Timor-Leste, a community they’ve long supported not far from Australia.
The Wiggles spread joy in Timor-Leste
Little voices, big hearts
One of the first visits of the trip was at a local school, one hour from Timor’s capital, Dili, to visit a School Readiness Program.
The School Readiness Program aims to give children the best possible start in their education. This means helping Grade 1 students transition smoothly into school, especially those who did not attend preschool, and reducing school repetition and dropouts.
"We found when we visited the school where the children largely spoke Tetum. That's their language. English really wasn't spoken, hardly at all by the children. So how did we communicate with them? Through music and through actions. It was a really empowering moment for the children to teach us about handwashing and also teach us the way they do their songs."
Clean water for all
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a basic human right for every child. Children’s health and nutrition can be severely affected without adequate sanitation. Good hygiene allows children to stay healthy, prevents the spread of infectious diseases, and ensures they miss fewer school days.
Communities that come together
"Only 40% of children here can attend preschool. I've got two little girls and I know that they'll be going to preschool, and I never thought that wouldn't be an option. So, to see it firsthand here, it was quite confronting. But also, on the other side of things, it's lovely to see UNICEF has stepped in and is making it accessible for more families and children to attend."
Breaking barriers for every girl
Timor-Leste has made significant progress in establishing a child protection system, yet domestic and family violence are still frequent. With only limited systems available to protect children, their childhoods are heavily impacted.
Girls and young women are particularly vulnerable to violence, with 3 in 10 females aged 15-19 experiencing physical violence in the last 12 months, with many cases sadly going unreported.
This is where the Girls Empowered Program comes in, a program that aims to build self-confidence and life skills among girls.
"They were so strong, so, so empowered. The work that UNICEF has done to help them be comfortable, talk about these things, realize what's okay and what's not okay, and be able to grow as women in Timor-Leste, that is absolutely beautiful."
"We have come together to show how much we all care about children all over the world. That's what The Wiggles have always done. That's what UNICEF has always done. It's just a pretty, amazing, beautiful country with beautiful, beautiful people and the last few days have been a real joy."
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