Thank YOU!

After a 3 month trip across the world and countless hours of traveling back, I'm officially home in the United States!  For the last two weeks I have been able to readjust and reflect on my time spent in Timor-Leste and what a magical experience it all was.

Surprisingly, the hardest part of the entire trip was coming home and attempting to fit back into my old life as a changed person. I truly was experiencing a reverse culture shock.  For the last few weeks my brain was on sensory overload and I was having a difficult time getting back into a regular routine. I was thrilled to have such a warm welcome from all my friends and family and at the same time overwhelmed with the reality that I have created such a wonderful life for myself in the Bay Area.

The three months I spent in East Timor were undeniably life changing. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with an organization dedicated to improving the lives of the thousands of Timorese people. Although Tuba Rai Metin was not the organization I originally planned to work for, I am so proud of the work we did together.

I am so grateful to have worked with an organization that has a history of fighting through the hard times and coming out stronger, a strength that is palpable throughout the entire country. TRM started in 2001 as a local NGO-MFI ( Microfinance Institution) amid great instability while the country was freshly independent. However, TRM fought on, determined to serve their clients, and by 2009 they were one of only two MFIs left serving the Timorese people. They are continuing to expand and increase their borrower base and as of 2013 they were serving 8,000 clients, 95% of whom are women entrepreneurs, with most loans less than $500.

For a recap:  I specifically created a training program for The Smart Campaign and worked on a brainstorming project to implement new ideas for microfinance, or Microfinace Plus programs. The Smart Campaign is an industry wide certification that shows that an organization is committed to protecting their clients by implementing the 7 Client Protection Principles:

1. Appropriate Product Design and Delivery

2. Prevention of Over-Indebtedness

3. Transparency

4. Responsible Pricing

5. Fair and Respectful Treatment of Clients

6. Privacy of Client Data

7. Mechanisms of Complaint Resolution

I developed a training program for these 7 Client Protection Principles for the field officers throughout East Timor. On one of the last days in the office I had the opportunity to go to a bamboo factory in Liquica District to order boxes for each of the branch offices to be used as a complaint/suggestion box. Before I created this program, clients had no way of giving feedback to TRM. I was happy to be part of improving their business by taking the necessary steps to protect their clients.

The second project I worked on was to think creatively and strategically about what the people of East Timor need and want in order to improve their lives. I pieced together what I was learning about the country, the politics, the people, and the culture and found ways translate that knowledge into a poverty reduction program. Although this was extremely challenging, I learned an incredible amount about what I am capable of achieving in a short amount of time and how I want to continue working in International Development. 

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of my family and friends. I can't say thank you enough, or accurately express how much everyone's support has meant to me, but I will try. For all of the financial support, thank you! So many wonderfully generous people contributed to my Indiegogo campaign, and I was able to exceed my original goal. To my friends who organized and attended the Second-Santa-Sweater-Stunner-Smash fundraising party, thank you! I am so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends. 

Thank you: Tim Durkee, Meagan Montana, Kim Leduff, Michelle Frost, Connie Tramma, Judy Call, Barbara Barboza,Travis Clark, Ed Baby, Emily Chan, Fred & Claire, Jeff Jones, Cody Jones, Katherine Michel, Timothy Payne, Niquita Williams, Alexis Lee, Tina Monarrez, Jim Harrington, Mr. and Mrs. Michel, John Holzinger, Yogi Yokubaitis, Phil & Pam Durkee, Dani Borden, Kimberly Roel, Tara Scarrow, Aunt Joelle, Cheryl Cox, Chris Sherrard, Phil Campos, Angie Lee, and to everyone who bought stunners at the SSSSS! And a special thanks to Jackie Pomeroy and Tracey Morgan for hosting me and helping me feel at home 8,000 miles away from my home. And a VERY special thanks to Jim, Milissa, Helena and Liam for bringing me to East Timor and opening up their house and lives to me. 

CEO of Tuba Rai Metin and me with a traditional tais on my last day

A Trip to the Districts

I was very lucky to get the opportunity to travel outside of Dili to a few rural district villages. Meredith needed someone to help take photos and film interviews she was conducting for her Masters thesis on women's involvement in community water groups. We traveled with a driver and a translator to the districts of Ainaro, Aileu, Manatuto, and Baucau.  I listened in on women's experiences and got a better understanding of what life was like living in a small village. I saw the how strong these women were as they explained having to take care of their families while also dedicating time to help make their communities better.  I began to see how frustrating it could be not having access to basic resources like water, and having to rely on broken linkages to the government and NGOs to fix a water source. Women also faced barriers to participation; Timor-Leste has very traditional gender attitudes as women are expected to stay home and raise the children and do the housework. Husbands typically are the decision makers and women have limited opportunities to be involved in community groups. I found it inspiring to see these women, without many resources or even role models, taking the necessary action to do what they felt was right for their communities, their families, and themselves. 

I was able to leave the villages feeling very hopeful because not only were these women able to break out of traditional gender roles and improve their lives, but also pave the way for their daughters' futures as well. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience. 

Meredith and a woman in Ainaro

Man selling vegetables in Maubisse

"I love Manatuto, Many Thanks"

Manatuto

Lunch

Maubisse (Ainaro) meeting house

women collecting water from the water point

Interview  in Baucau

A church in Venilale (Baucau)

A women being interviewed in Aileu

Women in Aileu

Water group members in Aileu

Water group leader in Aileu

Atauro Island

I took a one day trip to Atauro, which was beautiful, but way too short. Typically people go to Atauro for the weekend, but since I only had one week left in Timor-Leste I tried to pack it into a one day trip. The day started off by getting to the port around 9 AM. Meredith and I were a little unsure where to buy our tickets so we searched around the port entrance and were approached by a port employee; he looked official in a uniform, but we were unsure if he could help us buying tickets.  He insisted he could help us as led us around the side gate into the port, bypassing the huge line of ticket holders and onto the boat.  He asked us for the $10 for our ticket and said he would pay for us.  He ran ahead, up the very narrow staircase to the main floor, disappearing from view. When we got to the top he nodded and gave us a look that we were good to go. It was definitely a shady way for him to make a little extra money and it was a move we didn't even think of as suspicious until we were already on the boat. This sort of profiteering is much more common than I would like to think, especially in a developing country.  

We found a spot on the back of the boat and prepared ourselves for the 3 hour boat ride to travel 15 miles to Atauro Island. One of the coolest parts of the day was when I met a student, Isac, who wanted to practice his English with me. He bravely asked me to help him understand pronunciations, proper sentence structure, and even the difference between 'p' and 'b' sounds ( which I can definitely see now how that can be confusing!) At the same time he was helping me learn more Tetun, for which I was also very grateful. This lesson challenged me to think creatively about how to explain the English language and stretched me to come up with a different way to communicate. At the end of our conversation he naively asked me what village I was from back in the U.S. This reminded me of how different our lives were but how much smaller the world became on a 3 hour boat ride.  I felt like I made a new friend and we helped each other learn a little more about the different worlds we each came from. 

I really loved seeing the rich culture of this island. Because the island is small ( only 8,000 people in 5 village areas) and it is separate from the mail island, much of their traditional culture is still intact.  They have an interesting market with tons of different dried fish and a large seaweed farming market. Also, the coconuts were delicious! Looking at the pictures of the island, the vibrant colors are quite unbelievable ( I did not do any touch ups!) I can assure you that this island was just as gorgeous in person.

Sitting with Isac 

buying delicious corn on the boat

arriving on Atauro. Walking off the huge ferry!

Gorgeous Atauro! 

Sitting on the beach enjoying the view

Seaweed!

Dried fish 

Delicious coconuts

A very brief History of Timor-Leste: Part II

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, was colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The Portuguese minimally invested in health, education, and infrastructure yet, extracted almost all of the sandalwood and exported the coffee.  You can still see some Portuguese influences in architecture and the Tetum language. 

Around 1974 Portugal began to withdraw from East Timor to deal with a revolution back home. Portugal encouraged the decolonization of East Timor and helped organize political parties for the first election. The two largest parties were Fretilin and the Timorese Democratic Union Party (UDT). Fretilin was gaining power and was criticized by Western governments as being Marxist.  In August 1975, the UDT attempted a coup to stop the increasing popularity of Fretilin. Indonesia portrayed this conflict as a state of anarchy and chaos, making a case to invade to restore order and integrate East Timor into Indonesia. The United States supported this integration, as the threat of a left-wing country in the Indonesian archipelago seemed too risky during the height of the Cold War and the end of the Vietnam War.On December 7, 1975 the Indonesian military launched a massive air and sea invasion, known as "Operation Lotus" almost entirely using US supplied equipment. On the day before the invasion, President Gerald Ford and Henry Kissinger met with Indonesia's Suharto and, according to declassified documents, gave the green light for the invasion.  60,000 Timorese were dead by February 1976. Thousands more died from forced starvation and disease. During the 24 years of Indonesian occupation estimates of the number of deaths range from 100,000 to 200,000—out of a total East Timorese population of only 800,000. 

Unlike the Portuguese, the Indonesians favored strong rule, which was never accepted by the Timorese people who were determined to preserve their culture. Possibly in an attempt to differentiate themselves from Muslim Indonesia, the Catholic Church played an important role for the East Timorese people. In 1975 20% of the population was Catholic, but only 10 years later 95% called themselves Catholic.  Pope John Paul II's visit to East Timor in 1989 brought attention to the occupation and encouraged independence activists to seek global support.  

A turning point of the occupation was the Santa Cruz Massacre on November 12, 1991. Protesters of the Indonesian Occupation marched by the Santa Cruz cemetery and a fight broke out between Indonesian military and supporters of Independence. Over 200 East Timorese were killed and the events were caught on video and televised around the world. However, when the news of the massacre spread, the Indonesian government only admitted to killing 19 people.  At this time, U.S. and Australia cut off all ties with the Indonesian government. Here is a clip  

In 1999, under strong international pressure, the Indonesian government let East Timor vote for independence. Indonesia threatened that a vote would be disastrous for the country and even paid some Timorese to fight against their own people. However, in September 1999 98.6% of registered voters cast a ballot, and 78% voted for independence. The Timorese knew they wanted freedom and were willing to fight for it at all costs. Directly after the vote Indonesian soldiers violently retaliated. Approximately 1,400 Timorese were killed and 300,000 were forced into West Timor as refugees. The majority of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. Even after all the tragedy and destruction the Timorese people were proud be a free nation.   

Shortly after the vote the UN took over for the transition into independence. East Timor became formally independent on May 20, 2002 and Xanana Gusmão was sworn in as the country's President.Shortly after the vote the UN took over for the transition into independence. East Timor became formally independent on May 20th 2002 and Xanana (Shah-na-na) Gusmão was sworn in as the country's President.The UN peacekeeping mission ended in December 2012 as they felt the Timorese were capable to govern on their own. However, after independence, Timor-Leste still faces many challenges. The scars of the occupation are still visible; burnt and gutted buildings are left standing throughout every neighborhood. Many of the skilled workers were either displaced or killed during the occupation. Poverty, unemployment, low literacy rates, and malnutrition continue to be main issues. But these are issues that are being addressed and there are signs that things are improving. The number of people living below the poverty line has dropped from 50% in 2007 to 41% in 2010.  The international community has helped tremendously to get this country back on it's feet and stable; Australia's AusAid plans to donate $116.7 million in 2013. The government of Timor-Leste has also come out with a promising Strategic Development Plan for the next 20 years which outlines many positive investments for the country.  These priorities include increasing access to health and education, improving rural infrastructure such as roads and water systems, boosting agricultural productivity and strengthening governance. All very promising for a country with such great potential.    

My Weekend in Photos

Tais Market

Santa Cruz Cemetery

Kids playing by Santa Cruz Cemetery

Market

History of East Timor: Part I

Before I came to East Timor I didn't know too much about this resilient country. I heard that it had a horrible history of war, death, and poverty, became independent and still struggles as a new nation.  Now that I've been in East Timor for about 2 1/2 months, I've had the chance to soak in some of the rich history and culture. I want to share with you a little of what I have learned so far: 

Last week I had the opportunity to see the eye-opening movie Rosa's Journey: The Story of a Nation. It tells the story of life in East Timor after independence through the eyes of a resilient young widow and mother of 8 living in Dili.  If you are up to watching a heavy 1 hour documentary I highly recommend watching the prequel, East Timor-Birth of a Nation: Rosa's Story.  It's worth it. Hearing Rosa's story really put things into perspective for me. Although I knew some of the facts about the life struggles here, seeing this documentary made me even more sympathetic and understanding.

Rosa was born in East Timor in 1974, the year before Indonesia invaded. She witnessed her father being murdered when she was 4 years old. Her mother died of starvation from trying to provide food for her 8 children. At 33, her husband died from malaria, leaving her with 7 children. Her eighth child was the result of a rape. For a while she worked as a cleaner, earning $3.50 a day, but was forced to quit her job after the birth of her youngest daughter. Even after so many hardships Rosa remained determined to give her children a good education and the opportunities denied to her by war and poverty. 

 

When I went to watch the movie Balibo I saw Rosa with some of her kids and friends. I had to take a picture. 

Balibo tells the story of 6 journalist from Australia who were killed when they came to East Timor in 1975 to report the Indonesian Invasion. The incredibly difficult and dangerous assignment was based in Balibo, about 6 miles from the Indonesian border. It's a shocking story that brings to life the events of the invasion.  

Here is the trailer:   

These two movies gave me a better understanding of the history of East Timor both from the Timorese perspective and from the foreign perspective. It's so heart wrenching and completely maddening to think these stories are the reality for many Timorese.

    

East Timor became an independent nation in 2002 and they are continuing to rebuild their country. For a glimpse into what East Timor is like after independence here is a news clip:

Jaco

Happy Easter! 

The 10 hour trip to Jaco Island started early Friday morning. I took my motion sickness pills and headed east on the extremely bumping roads.  The downside was that I slept most of the way. However, I managed to wake up for lunch and for a couple stops along the way. We stopped for lunch at the Pousada in Baucau and I got to see a family of monkeys! We also stopped a couple times to cool the car down and let the water stop boiling! Cute little kids carried jugs of water over to us so we could refill our car. We continued on the bumpy, rocky, dirt road and I took pictures along the way. Almost every person we drove by smiled and waved. The people in the districts were so incredibly sweet and so happy to see us.

We arrived to a gorgeous sunset of pink clouds and blue sea that all blended into slight purple. Jaco was by far the most exquisite place I've ever seen! Paradise. Jaco Island is a national park so we couldn't camp on the beach over night, but camped on the white sand beach on the shores of Tutuala, East Timor. The water was the most turquoise clear blue I'd ever seen. Saturday morning we had a fisherman take us in his boat to Jaco island. I relaxed on the beach, snorkeled and took in the most amazing views. I was in awe the entire time. 

When the fisherman picked us up in the afternoon we bought a few fish from the ones he caught and he grilled them for us! The most magical moment was when we went for a swim after dinner, it started to rain and then a huge full DOUBLE rainbow appeared over Jaco Island. Sorry no picture of the double rainbow, I was having too much fun swimming to go get my camera. There was a permanent smile on my face the whole weekend. 

Fishermen

Jaco Island

Carlos, Meredith, & Mistina 

On Jaco looking at rain clouds over Tutuala

Me