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Living wisdom
Kirsty Sword (Gusmão) grew up in Melbourne and Bendigo and attended Melbourne University where she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Indonesian and Italian, and a Diploma of Education. From 1992 to 1996, she lived and worked as a teacher and human rights campaigner in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was during these years that her work for the East Timorese independence cause intensified and brought her into contact with the independence leader, Xanana Gusmão, who was serving a 20-year sentence in a Jakarta jail and whom she married in July, 2000. She has lived in East Timor since October 1999 and is the founder and chairwoman of the Alola Foundation which she established in 2001 to address the needs of East Timorese women and their families. Kirsty was appointed by President Dr. Jose Ramos Horta as Goodwill Ambassador for Education in October 2007 in recognition of her tireless efforts to address the educational priorities of Timor-Leste. She is Co--Chairperson of the National Education Commission and represents UNESCO, Timor-Leste at international forums.
