unShaken in Timor
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unShaken in Timor

Yes… on 27.05.2022, around 11:30 am, there was another earthquake in Timor… but it was the first one here! I was in the house in Gleno… It was such a weird feeling, cause it lasted more than the one in Australia (my only other experienced comparison). At first, I thought I was dizzy cause it…

Shipping Containers x4
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Shipping Containers x4

Although the road needed fixing, meetings and discussions were held with the chefe-suco, who in turn talked to the relevant land owners… but after all that, four 20ft shipping containers were delivered to the site. The preparation for the foundations has also started and a gallery showing the delivery and the progress of the works…

Fig Tree Seedlings
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Fig Tree Seedlings

Yesterday we brought home approximately 100 fig tree seedlings.. Luke messaged a stranger at the time, and later met with Julio – a Timorese man passionate about fig trees and the development of his country. The majority of the seedlings will be given to the community in Gleno and Julio will give them training on…

New Friends
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New Friends

Due to visa extensions/applications, we needed to travel quite often to Dili, as you might know by now, it’s a ride full of beauty and at the same time full of obstacles…. But the trips are worthwhile – when you have friends at both ends of the road. In Dili, we got to meet some…

A Sad Day

A Sad Day

Today was a sad day… we got a call and found out that the owner of our rental in Gleno passed away. He was a good man, he helped many people in the village, and whether young or old.. everyone knew Mr Paulo Maia. He was a policeman during the Indonesian occupation and then became…

The Goal of this Trip
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The Goal of this Trip

ok.. so we’re in Gleno… but why? Our volunteer work here is to design and raise a radio tower, and also to organise the construction of a residence / area where the locals can come and learn about agriculture and a better lifestyle- VIVA MELHOR; in 2013 an estimated 90,000 children under 5, or 50percent, suffered…

Daniel & Celia

Daniel & Celia

Landing in Dili is always exciting. It is like coming home: the familiar sights & sounds, the warm humid rush of air as you exit the plane, the walk across the tarmac to immigration & customs trying to remember your Tetum language skills as you prepare to greet the immigration officials. But this time it…

Scenic Route to Timor

Scenic Route to Timor

If you thought getting to leave Australia was a challenge (with cancellations, delays, rescheduled flights, requests for exemptions, tests, etc)… you would be right… but I think that was only to prepare us for what was to come 😉 On the evening of 27.02.2022 we arrived at the hotel in Darwin after a full day of flying……

The State of the Nation

The State of the Nation

As a young nation, only 4 months away from turning 20, Timor-Leste has a lot of growing to do as a nation, along with its population of approximately 1.3 million people. The median age is only 20.8 years; both country and people are infants in the history of nations. The nation lacks skilled workers in…