High heels out of step with needs of Timor

By SCOTT KARA

A donation of 3000 pairs of shoes to East Timor has been stopped after most were found to be either high heels or white wedding shoes - not the most appropriate attire in the war-ravaged state.

Sandals and jandals are the footwear of choice in East Timor since many roads and footpaths are still being cleared after the violence which accompanied independence from Indonesia.

The shoes were to be loaded in the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate Endeavour, but the aid agency World Vision found most of them would be impractical for wearing in East Timor.

The Endeavour sails for East Timor on Wednesday.

Graeme Sterne, director of communications at World Vision, said the supplier who donated the shoes wanted to remain anonymous.

"They are not much good in a crisis situation," he said. "What we need is Jandals and sandals, particularly for the children."

Mr Sterne said the only possible place high heels could be of use in the future in Timor was in the capital, Dili.

Lieutenant-Commander Kelvin Barrett, from the Endeavour, said: "I think they realised that last season's shoes with high heels were not the most entirely appropriate footwear for Timor."

He said the Endeavour would leave laden with diesel, aviation fuel, clothes, water pumps and computers.

Mr Sterne said the shoes were not useless and would be sent to other countries.

"The style could be acceptable for women in India or Cambodia. Things that may have gone out of fashion in New Zealand are very acceptable overseas."

The type of shoes the supplier donated illustrated the need for aid to be appropriate to the country in need.

Stuart Sontier, of the East Timor Independence Committee, said the computers would help get the university and local organisations up and running again.

Mr Barrett said the water pumps would be used for irrigation and pumping domestic water from wells.

* Herald defence correspondent Mathew Dearnaley will be reporting from East Timor later this week.