Week 1: Timor Leste

Flabiana Timor Leste Oe-cusse (oh–koo–see) is an area of Timor Leste. Caritas Australia offers training to villagers there. The training helps them to recover from many years of fighting in their country.

Oe-cusse in Timor Leste is only a short flight from Darwin.

Timor Leste is a very beautiful country.

But when families returned after the fighting in 1999, they found that buildings, roads and bridges had been destroyed.

Flabiana’s family had almost nothing. But now, thanks to your support for Caritas Australia, they have a new life.

Flabiana and other villagers took part in Caritas Australia training.

They learned how to grow fast-growing crops. Soybeans take three months to grow.

They learned about raising livestock.

They were trained in growing trees for timber and preparing traditional medicine for selling.

They were shown how to set up and run a savings scheme.

The group learned how to prepare food like tofu and tempeh for selling. With a grant from Caritas Australia, they bought a processer and built a clean building for preparing food.

Soybeans are soaked and processed. The group adds vinegar to curdle the mix, then drains off the unwanted water.

The solids are used for feeding animals. The liquid is poured into moulds, dried, then cut up. The soybeans are now tofu!

Flabiana’s group take the tofu and tempeh that they have made to sell at the market. They also sell it to restaurants.

Now Flabiana can afford to send all her children to school. At Madino’s primary school, Caritas provided trees for shade.

This is Flabiana’s daughter, Kris, at secondary school. Caritas Australia replaced the roof, which was burnt in 1999.

This is Flabiana’s family home.

In 2008, Flabiana and Joao saved enough to build a water pump in their back yard.

This is their expanded kiosk, or little shop. It is attached to the house.

Flabiana is cooking a meal for everyone.

Outside, Flabiana’s children enjoy playing with their friends.

Flabiana’s children and her niece enjoy their family meal together.

Picture credits Marden Dean