Peter Cassidy Peter Cassidy — Chairperson, Website Director
Peter is a Software Engineer and Manager, with a diverse portfolio of skills in data storage, real-time systems, simulation and website construction. Peter is extensively travelled and has seen first hand the vast differences in living conditions, health, education and empowerment between those in richer and poorer countries, and just as tellingly, between groups within a single country.

Peter first became aware of Timpir at a fundraising event in June 2005, when he was amazed by the level of organisation of a committed group of people, impressed by the efficiencies of a grassroots organisation, and excited about what it could achieve. He immediately joined Timpir, accepting the role of IT & website director. Peter is excited about his upcoming journey to South Sudan, and is looking forward to making a personal contribution to the health, education and well-being of the people in the area.

When not travelling, Peter can often be found rock climbing, flying gliders or playing volleyball.

Henry Kutek Henry Kutek — Secretary
Henry Kutek is a Chartered Professional Engineer who runs his own Forensic Engineering Consultancy. He grew up in Adelaide, Australia as the first Australian-born son of a refugee family fleeing northern Europe after WW2. He feels a great affinity for Sudanese refugees arriving in Australia and is active in assisting their resettlement. Henry has experience in the operation of community service organisations and is assisting the establishment and development of Timpir so that it can achieve its goals of providing assistance and support in developing acceptable standards of education, health, social justice and equity for the people of South Sudan.

Graham Denton Graeme Denton — Finance Director
Graeme Denton has diverse qualifications and life experiences and is passionate about improving health and education outcomes for people living in developing countries, particularly those in South Sudan. Graeme has worked as a primary teacher, as a clinical dietitian and as a police officer. He is also an experienced children's entertainer, having entertained children as Wobbles the Clown for the past ten years. More recently Graeme has combined all of his skills to form Bright Spark Entertainment, his own business that produces and presents educational theatre performances for primary schools on the topics of Healthy Eating and Road Safety. Graeme believes in the creative arts as means of improving well-being and in helping to break down barriers between cultures. He especially enjoys bringing laughter to others through his clowning and school performances. He also values the quality time he spends with his wife and two daughters.

Mel Baak Mel Baak — Founder, Public Officer and Special Projects Director
Mel has travelled extensively through African countries including Sudan, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. She spent time in both 2007 and 2008 living with her husband and his family and experiencing the challenges of living the subsistence lifestyle of South Sudan. She worked in a primary school in Kenya in 2005 for three months and with street children in a rehabilitation centre just outside of Nairobi. She has experience teaching primary school children in the New Arrivals Program for refugee and migrant students at Gilles Street Primary School and previously worked for Local Government developing programs to involve new arrival migrants and refugees in the community.

Mel has studied two and a half years of a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Education with Honours. She completed her Honours research project in 2007 researching the educational experiences of Sudanese students from refugee backgrounds in South Australia. She is currently in the final stages of a PhD at the University of South Australia and is researching the experiences of belonging for Sudanese women through transitions they have made from Sudan, to countries of initial asylum in Africa and finally to Australia. She plans to eventually move to Sudan with her family to assist in the development of school curriculum and the building of schools and healthcare facilities in South Sudan.

Garang Kuek Garang Kuek — Wäramoth School Project Director
Garang was born in South Sudan and was separated from his family at age two. He grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya where he met Kuol Baak for the first time. Kuol sponsored his entry into Australia in 2006. Garang eventiually completed his schooling in Australia and is now in his final year of Civil Engineering at the University of South Australia.

Garang is also a hip-hop artist of some repute.

Getano Gai Getano Gai — Mabok School Project Director
Gai was born in January 1979 in Aweil, South Sudan. He fled his home in April 1998 to Khartoum. He stayed in Khartoum for about 3 years before finding it unbearable to stay any longer. He fled Khartoum and arrived in Egypt in June 2001. He stayed in Egypt as refugee for about 4 years before he was accepted to come to Australia on a humanitarian visa. He arrived in Australia in March 2005.

Before fleeing home in 1998, Gai had started his primary classes in an under-tree school. He continued his schooling while in Khartoum but did not make it further than year 6. However, Gai obtained full qualification in Dinka Studies at a Comboni School in Khartoum. He taught Dinka in Khartoum as well as working for the Sudan Television Network in the Dinka Language Section. He also taught Dinka language in Egypt from 2001 – 2005. He has been a Dinka Language Teacher in Adelaide from 2005 to present. Gai is currently doing year 10 in Marden Senior College of South Australia. He joined the Timpir board in 2006. Gai plans to continue teaching Dinka Language and participate in community activities including helping the organisation of Timpir.

Kuol Baak Kuɔl Baak — Membership Director
Kuɔl was born in South Sudan and escaped to Ethiopia in 1989 following conflict in South Sudan that began in 1982 and escalated in 1983. In Ethiopia, he was trained in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) as a child soldier, graduating in August 1990. While in Ethiopia, Kuɔl attended Catholic Church and started learning Dinka literature. Following the collapse of Mengistu's administration, he fled Ethiopia and returned to South Sudan's conflict areas in 1991. Kuɔl was armed in Korcuei in 1991 and disarmed in Pakok in 1992. By July 1992, Kuɔl was among the 16,000 'lost boys' whose exodus to Kenya initiated Kakuma Refugee Camp. Kuɔl completed his primary schooling within Kakuma Refugee Camp and went to secondary school in Kitale (under the merit based sponsorship of Jesuit Refugee Services) where he completed his secondary education (year 12) in 2001. In 2003, he was granted a Special Humanitarian Visa to resettle in Australia. In November 2008, Kuɔl completed a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning with Honours at the University of South Australia, and in 2009 moved to Port Pirie as a senior town planner.

Kuɔl taught and wrote Dinka literature in South Australia since 2004. He currently teaches high school students (yrs 8 – 12) at the School of Languages of South Australia. Kuɔl also manages a Dinka language blogging page at: http://dinka.blogs.mylanguage.gov.au/. The page encourages all interested Dinka readers, writers and learners around the world to contribute. With its global reach, the page is a potential global virtual classroom where Dinka, also known as Thuɔŋjäŋ, can be learned and taught. This is a technological opportunity the language has never had since its formal reading, writing and learning was initiated in 1928 in Rajaf, South Sudan.

Lynda Kutek Lynda Kutek — Fundraising Director

Henry and Lynda travelled to South Sudan in Jan 2008 and were able to meet many of the people who had been assisted by Timpir and to see the difference that that aid had made to their lives. They saw the original school and the conditions under which the people live while trying to rebuild their lives. They also saw how ignorance puts the lives of young children and babies at risk and how big a difference a little health knowledge can make to them.

They feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to help the people of South Sudan to recover from the civil war that has ruined the lives of so many and hindered the development of South Sudan to such a degree.

Ken Pfitzner Ken Pfitzner — Board Member
DOB - 13th April 1949
One of 9 Children
Married wife - Robyn Stains Feb/1977
3 Children, 4 Grand Children
1966 - 1971 Apprentice Cabinet Maker
1971 - 1972 National Service - Field Medic Australian Army
1972 - 1974 World Travel - Southern & Central Africa, Worked UK, Europe, Asia
1975 - 2005 Own Business - Furniture Manufacture, Restoration, Reproductions
2000 - Present - Employed TAFESA Furnishing Lecturer, Marleston Campus
2005 Member/board member Timpir
Interests - All things Creative, Outdoor activities, Travel