Mel Baak Mel Baak — Founder and Chairperson
Mel has travelled extensively through African countries including Sudan, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. She spent three weeks living in South Sudan in 2007 with her husband and his family and experienced 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 education experiences of Sudanese refugees in South Australia. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia and is researching the educational experiences of Sudanese women and children. In early 2008 she returned to Sudan with her husband William and spent 2 months working on the projects of Timpir. She plans to eventually move to Sudan to assist in the development of school curriculum and the building of schools and healthcare facilities in South Sudan.

Graham Denton Graeme Denton — Finance Director
Graeme Denton has diverse qualifications and life experiences and is passionate about breaking down barriers and prejudices that exist between cultures, including those often held against new arrivals to Australia. He also has a keen interest in improving health and education outcomes for people living in developing countries, particularly those in South Sudan. Graeme was an active member of the New Arrivals Outreach Program that assisted Sudanese youth (and their families) to integrate with mainstream Australia through sporting and recreational activities. He has also volunteered in many other capacities including caring for elderly citizens living at home.

Graeme has tertiary degrees in Primary Teaching, Human Movement, and Nutrition & Dietetics and has worked as a professional in all three disciplines. He is currently working as a Relief Teacher and as a children's entertainer by the name of "Wobbles the Clown". Graeme donates part of his clowning income direct to Timpir initiatives. Graeme is also currently developing a Nutritional Education Program for junior primary children. Graeme believes in the creative arts as means of breaking down barriers and improving well-being, and loves bringing laughter to others through his clowning. He also loves the quality time he spends with his wife and two young daughters.

Asher Reynolds Asher Reynolds — Secretary
Asher Reynolds is currently teaching Music at Saint Ignatius' College, Norwood. She received a Bachelor of Arts/Music and the Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Adelaide, graduating in 2004. She has been involved with many music ensembles, touring extensively with The Australian Voices and is currently a member of the Emily Davis Trio. Asher has traveled and trekked extensively though-out Europe, America and developing countries in Latin America and Asia, with her most recent adventure being the Saint Ignatius' Indian Pilgrimage. She is passionate about teaching, the environment, the creative arts and athletic sports.

Kuol Baak Kuɔl Baak — Project 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 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.

Kuɔl got married in April 2007 to Melanie Baak who is an Adelaide born girl. With Melanie, Kuɔl visited his family in South Sudan twice (Jan – Feb 2007, Jan – March 2008) since he 'left' the family in July 1989. Kuɔl directs Timpir projects in South Sudan. The current main project that he directs is Wäramoth Primary School with 7 teachers and over 500 students in years 1-4 in the academic year of 2009.

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.

Henry Kutek Henry Kutek — Fundraising Director
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.

Henry and his wife 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.

He feels 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.

Getano Gai Bol Getano Gai Bol — Promotions 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.

Malual Wal Malual Wal — Board Member
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Majok Ateem Majok Ateem — Board Member
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Agem Akot Agem Akot — Board Member
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Membership Director — vacant