Kirsty Sword Gusmão, former First Lady of Timor-Leste, was born in Melbourne in 1966. For many years she worked as a teacher and human rights campaigner in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her work brought her into contact with the East Timorese independence leader, Xanana Gusmão, who was serving a 20-year sentence in a Jakarta jail and whom she later married. Kirsty is the founder of the Alola Foundation which she established in 2001 to address the needs of East Timorese women through advocacy, education, economic empowerment and maternal and child health programs.

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