The Peter Trust
Secretary’s Report to the Trustees
Visit to East Timor May 16th- June 3rd 2009
 

Saturday May 16th
Arrive Dili 1515hrs after one-hour flight delay. Met at Nicolau Lobato airport by SPC and OP Sisters, the latter with about 40 orphans from the Dili home who greet me with songs and presentation of a tais. Driven to SPC new convent in Kuluhun Kraik and later that evening taken to sea-side restaurant by SPC.

Sunday May 17th
9.00am Preside at Mass for SPC community, local people and orphans from OP home.

10.30am Go to ALMA Sisters’ new convent and care base for their work with handicapped/traumatised to which PT made a contribution. Welcomed with tais and speeches of thanks. Participate in buffet lunch prepared for all who have come: viz. about 40 children, 12 very severely handicapped with their families, about 80 people in total. ALMA own the half acre of land on which the facility is built, which includes their own convent, meeting rooms, and smaller rooms for short-term residence of disabled people.
The Sisters visit 52 homes using the motorbike provided by PT and teach methods of easing disability/deformity. They also extol the value of such children who are often rejected – their affliction being perceived as ‘a sign of God’s curse’; married couples may blame each other; and siblings may spurn the disabled because they are ashamed of them. Or these children may be neglected (e.g. lack of washing, feeding, etc) if there is no improvement in their condition. They are sometimes hidden away in the back of the house. The Sisters host General Meetings every two months to support families in responding to the needs of the children appropriately.
The ALMA Sisters would like PT to continue with its financial support ($2000pa) and asked for an increase to pay for the fuel for the motorbike purchased by the Trust. They really now need a four-wheeled vehicle (open van) to expand their work further, and beyond Dili. [Note: This vehicle has subsequently been provided by appeals made in Australia by a relative of one of the journalists murdered by Indonesian armed forces in Balibo in 1975 at nationwide screenings of the 2009 film drama of that name which tells the story of the invasion of East Timor including that particular event]

12.30pm To Railaku, en route visit the new bronze statue of John Paul II erected above Tasi Tolu in commemoration of his visit there in 1989. Greeted at Railaku with dancing and a tais by about 70 children benefiting from the ‘feeding programme’ (nutrition supplement) which PT has been funding for several years. The SPC indicate that they now have another funding source and do not need further PT help for this project.

6.30pm evening meal with SPC community augmented by Fr Bong SJ (from Japan) and Fr Sam SJ (from Philippines) - parish clergy, and Sister Rita (Good Shepherd Sister, from Australia) who have oversight of the parish, its clinic, and adjacent High School for which PT provided solar panels.

Monday May 18th

Visit Railaku Parish High School. Greeted by all 202 students who present tais and express their thanks. 18 computers and 6 sewing machines are run from the solar panels provided by PT. There is now electric power generated in the locality between 7.00pm-midnight - but still none at any other time (i.e. during school hours!). PT has provided scholarships for 20 students from poor homes and we are asked to continue this if possible (c$1000pa).

Visit Bom Samaritano Hostel at Gleno, established by Fr Domingos Soares. Students aged 11-16 well provided for in terms of facilities, tuition, etc – until they need to move to senior high school when they must go to Dili to avail of the provision there. Twenty 16-18 year olds are accommodated in the Lar S Ignacio in Caicoli suburb and attend 6th form at St Paul’s Catholic High School. Parishioners of Holy Name in Leeds have met their tuition and food costs for the past twelve months.

Travel on to Ermera to visit the parish Primary School which it is hoped will link with Catholic Primary Schools here. Unfortunately the children have gone home (!) as there are classes only in the mornings - but I photograph the interior and exterior of the building which is in a very poor and ill-equipped state.

Spend the remainder of the day endeavouring to take photos of local families with the livestock provided last Christmas time by parishioners of Holy Name. Return to Dili in evening.
Tuesday May 19th
7.30am to Motael Church, Dili for 8.30am Mass to celebrate Independence Day, presided over by Bishop Ricardo and attended by Xanana Gusmao and many Government officials, UN and NGO representatives, and several hundred local people.

4.00pm To Dominican orphanage in Dili Bidau Santa Ana, and from there to Hera to see small farmstead that the orphans are developing to provide foodstuffs for their community and for training opportunities in agriculture and the rearing of domestic livestock. The OPs are buying this land from the parish of Becora in Dili. This project needs much more funding for its development.

Wednesday May 20th
Independence Day is being celebrated in Dili, but I am travelling to Soibada to visit the 80 boys and girls boarding there from all over East Timor, a journey that takes about 6 hours and includes the replacement of a burst tyre. These children have been orphans hitherto and PT has provided funds towards the purchase of food, fuel for the generator and vehicles, and tuition fees for 20 of the students at the nearest High School. After the greetings, tais presentation etc, and speeches of thanks I discover that the situation has recently changed and that the present residents are not orphans although some come from very poor families who cannot afford to pay anything for their accommodation, etc. Although the OP Sisters who run it would be grateful for the continuation of PT support I have to indicate to them consideration to the matter.

Thursday May 21st
On the return journey to Dili we go to Salao where the OPs hope to develop a facility to replace that at Soibada (which is crumbling). PT has already paid for boundary fencing at this site but in view of the change in the nature of the institution further funding is a matter for Trustees to deliberate. Back at the Dili orphanage I invite Sr Marylu to describe the various needs for which PT help is sought (other than Soibada/Salao). These comprise: meeting the daily cost of feeding the 55 orphans ($5580pa), expenses associated with their (free) schooling (uniform, books, pens, exam fees, etc - $3720pa), clothing, medical care, provision of computer/printer and accessories at the orphanage, etc., the development of the farmstead at Hera, and the provision of solar panels to the orphanage. Trustees may consider it appropriate to respond to these various needs and withdraw from the Soibada/Salao projects.

From the PT funds already at ANZ bank in Dili I transfer (May 29th) $4500 to meet ‘immediate demands’ - which included $1000 owing for food and education costs; $2000 payment in arrears towards the Hera land purchase; $300 for repairs to the spray gun in the new orphanage garage facility; $200 for an electrical connection to the Hera sheds for work after sunset; the promise of $700 towards a computer/printer, etc for the Bidau orphanage; and $300 towards new tyres for the OPs heavy truck and Land Rover.

Friday May 22nd
After early morning Mass and breakfast with the orphanage community I present the Leeds United shirts which were donated by Team supporters. These are received by the orphan boys with excitement. Maybe via some further publicity of this exchange LUFC and fans will become participant in supporting the orphanage?!

After this Sr Marylu OP presents two potential HE/FE students for PT support:
Genivia da Silva Marcal (dob 23.11.89) is a ‘high-flyer’ from Natarbora whom the Sisters feel would make the most of PT financial help to pursue her desire to become a doctor (to practise in East Timor). This process would begin with a year at the OP hostel in Manila where she would learn English to the level needed for medical studies. The request is for visa and travel costs plus the accommodation/tuition for this initial year ($4150).
Sulivan Auxiladora Kalvia da Silva (dob 29.5.86) is a former resident at Soibada who is now the main driver and mechanic for the OP institutions at Dili and Soibada. Support from PT is requested to enable him to complete a 2 year Computer course at Bandung Technical College (Java), where he previously trained as a mechanic ($1820 for travel, tuition, accommodation - $910pa).

In view of the fact PT has concluded its support of Pinto Cardoso Manuel Soares and Jeremias Baptista Gomes with their graduation this April/May, I indicate that the Trustees would probably be sympathetic to these requests. From funds currently in the ANZ Dili account I transfer (June 1st) $2000 towards these costs.
 
Saturday May 28th
Meet with Jeremias Gomes and Pinto Soares who provide copies of their admirable graduation certificates etc. They have been looking for work in East Timor since their recent return. [At the time of writing this Report Pinto has been given a job with the (TL) National Parliamentary Research Centre which he is finding ‘very interesting’ and Jeremias has emailed the following information:

‘I am working with Fundasaun Haburas Communidade (FUHACO). We are partnering with Care International Timor Leste to implement a Health Environmental Project and Integrated Rural Development Project in the district of Bobonaro and Covalima (Suai). In these two projects we conduct training on how to prevent endemic illness such as Malaria, Diarrhoea, Dengue, etc, for the Community Health Volunteers, Village Program Management Community or local leaders of community, school teachers and school children. We also conduct health education sessions to the community. As Health Program Manager I am also learning a lot on how to manage a project base on a signed contract’. ]

Go to visit the Lar S Ignacio – Fr Domingos’ Soares hostel in Caicoli suburb where Holy Name parish has been supporting 20 students from the Gleno hostel Bom Samaritano. The students express appreciation (with a tais and speeches) for this help but also present a range of needs some of which should be met urgently – such as better food, sanitary provision, study space, and personal storage facilities. (I have shared my concerns over the conditions in the Lar with Fr Domingos who is currently in Macao).

Pay a courtesy call on Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva who thanks PT for its efforts for the poor in TL and in the UK.

In the evening eat at a seashore restaurant with David Odling Smee, formerly of Knaresborough, one of the PT agents in Dili, who considers our efforts for the poor as the best thing that can be done at the present time. In his view it will take three generations for the East Timorese to be able to manage their own affairs. He describes the many difficulties that have to be overcome.

Sunday May 24th - Monday May 25th

7.00am depart Dili for Atambua (West Timor) en route to Baocnana in Oecussi. The overnight ferry link Dili-Oecussi is not operating as the ship is undergoing repairs, and the 45minute journey on the UN helicopter cannot be arranged. The only way to go is by road through West Timor. I spend the night at Kefamenanu (WT) and cross into Oecussi the next day. Vehicle breakdowns, bad roads, immigration procedures, etc mean I do not arrive at Baocnana until 7.00pm on Monday May 25th!

Tuesday May 26th

6.30am Join Fr Ricardo SVD and the young people in the asrama (which PT funded) for Mass, and then visit and photograph the completed facilities for (25) girls from the mountain villages who are thereby enabled to attend school and benefit from the opportunity for social development in the asrama. These facilities are very adequate although Fr Ricardo would like to improve the toilets and kitchen provision. There are at present only 7 boys whose separate facilities are in urgent need of improvement. Fr Ricardo asks for PT help with that development, and also with the envisaged improvements to the girls accommodation, and for the provision of 3 laptop computers for use by the boys and girls in the evenings after school (purchased in Indonesian West Timor these would cost between $250-$500 each).

8.30am depart on return journey to East Timor (Suai). It takes until 4.00pm non-stop driving to reach the WT/ET border near Suai. At 5.00pm SPC Sisters Annette and Bibianne arrive with Manuel driving their mobile clinic 4x4 and transport me to the Hospital in Suai where their convent is located and the clinic is based, and which is now the local TB hospital with a specialist mother & baby unit, part funded by TL Government.

Wednesday May 27th

9.00am Travel to the village of Caba Uba Mora where the clinic will operate today, to be greeted with traditional dancing, tais, speeches of thanks to the PT, etc. As well as a free clinic the Sisters also provide nutritional supplement to all the children and vulnerable adults (elderly, sick, etc). The Clinic continues until late afternoon. I return to the Suai hospital to meet Leslie Magno who is the Laboratory Medical Technician funded by PT. She explains her task, and the limitations of the laboratory (e.g. no machines for analysis of samples)! Her role is very important in the diagnosis of disease (and therefore in the choice of appropriate treatment).

An additional member of staff is Filipino doctor Benilda Degula who lives in the SPC community (as does Leslie Magno) and ‘shares their missionary spirit’ of self-sacrifice and dedication to the poor. Dr Degula is a specialist in infectious diseases and in family medicine. Financial assistance is asked of PT ($6000 pa) so that her services can be retained for a longer term[subsequently agreed to by the Trustees].

Sr Annette and Bibianne ask if PT can continue to meet the costs of the wages of the nurse(s) ($200 per person per month), Driver/Mechanic ($120 per month), Medical Technician ($300 per month), Doctor ($500 per month) and assist towards the cost of Medicines (ideally $1000 per month) [Total $25,440 per annum].

Thursday May 28th

8.00am Depart for Ainaro to see the development of the ‘pre-seminary’ being undertaken by young diocesan priest Fr Evaristo who asked me for help in 2007. In the intervening period he has successfully negotiated various NGO and international Government Aid donations and the seminary is thriving with 75 boys (increasing to 120 in September) aged 12-16. He has also refurbished an empty property in Ainaro town for use by visiting NGO agents and others able to pay the charges – an additional source of income for the seminary. It is evident that he has no need of assistance from PT!

2.30pm After lunch, depart for Railaku in order to make a return visit to the primary school at Ermera.

Arrive Railaku at 7.00pm! The roads throughout East Timor (including Oecussi) are significantly worse each time I have visited since Independence was achieved in 2002. The refurbishment of this essential aspect of infrastructure is of critical importance to national development.

Friday May 29th

8.30am departure from Railaku enables an arrival at Ermera at 10.00am. I photograph the children with their teacher in each of six classes, and then meet with the Head and all the 7 staff where a tais is presented to me and the school needs are outlined. The Head says ‘we need everything, and anything you can give will help’. His most pressing concern is meeting the salaries of the teaching staff ($120 each per month).

The school contrasts starkly in every respect with the educational provision for this age group in the UK. Hopefully, the schools here that have expressed an interest in assisting with this aspect of the PT’s assistance in Timor Leste will be active and generous.

11.30am return to Railaku and from there to Dili in time for a late lunch at 2.00pm. At 3.30pm I have an appointment with Trisha Johns, instigator of the Women’s Woven Art Workshop in Dili where several women adapt cloth made in the villages in the traditional way into artefacts that can be sold abroad. The PT has successfully marketed several packages of selected items. Trisha and her associates are expert in the matter of traditional weaving and enable me to gain access the following Monday to the display in the Parliament Chamber of all the principal regional designs and colour combinations.

Saturday May 30th

In the morning I visit the Pro-Paedeutic (introductory) Year at the Diocesan Seminary in Becora to meet several students from Turiscai who I got to know in their mountain parish home in 2007.

That afternoon I travel with Sr Carmen to Liquica where I meet the Parish Priest, Fr ‘Zecha’, who shows me a roofed outbuilding with three walls, which, if completed with a fourth wall fitted with windows and doors, could provide a good facility for local youth training – computer literacy, sewing skills, etc. I invite him to send an estimate of costs to the PT as it is the kind of relatively small-scale project (like the Dili orphanage garage/workshop) that might attract support from some of the Friends and Supporters of the Trust.

Sunday May 31st

By now I am lacking energy for anything other than writing up my notes and preparing for the journey back to the UK.

Monday June 1st

In the morning a succession of individuals call to visit me at the SPC convent to wish me bon voyage.

In the afternoon I visit the Parliament Chamber with Trisha Johns and her Timorese associate Carla to photograph the tais on display. Parliament is in session at the time so photography has to be discreet. Carla and Trisha are able to answer all the questions I put to them about the place of traditional weaving in East Timorese culture, and its future.

It seems likely that unless a serious research project is undertaken by some University in the next ten years the traditional knowledge passed on by word of mouth will be lost with the deaths of the present generation of grandmothers.

Tuesday June 2nd

15.25pm (ET time). Depart Nicolau Lobato airport Dili for journey back to Leeds via Singapore and Dubai. Arrive Holy Name Presbytery at 4.00pm (GMT) on Wednesday June 3rd, a 30-hour journey.

Comments on the General Situation

The most evident sign of positive development is the disappearance of all the refugee camps. In 2006 over 120,000 people made temporary homes in the grounds of convents, churches, seminaries, the Cathedral, and in the schools, colleges and orphanages run by various Religious Congregations. Families even took up residence in the Diocesan Offices. These IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) were taking refuge from the violence of the civil strife that arose as a result of widespread disaffection with the Government then in office, the lack of development, a very high level of unemployment, and continuing poverty for the great majority of the people.
A coalition of political parties (AMP), led by the former President Xanana Gusmao, took the reins of power and has achieved the resettlement of all the IDPs in their home villages and a generally peaceful ethos. There are no more marauding gangs of youths and people can go about without fear by day and at night.
The more settled social scene has raised the confidence of investors and there has been some commercial and small-scale industrial development. However, most of these enterprises are owned and managed by outsiders - from Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia - who have the financial capital, skills, and experience that is required.
There are some impressive new buildings in the capital Dili – the Presidential Palace, the Foreign Ministry, and the embassy of the European Union for example – but all were built with foreign money and with expatriate labour.
There has been little development of national infrastructure (telecommunications, power, water supply, etc) outside of Dili and the roads everywhere have been steadily deteriorating: it can take hours of discomfort to cover relatively short distances.
Some new school buildings can been seen, and most of the 750 that were wrecked in 1999 by the departing Indonesian military and their proxy militias have been made at least ‘operational’ – but furnishing is minimal, equipment is rudimentary, sanitary conditions basic, and there is a severe shortage of trained teachers.
Health care remains limited and very dependent upon international assistance - most conspicuously from Cuba. There is a severe shortage of doctors and other medical professionals (including competent administrators), quality medicines are in limited supply - and are still inaccessible to many people who live in rural areas and in the mountain regions. The provision of care in mental health (including trauma, which is endemic), for chronic disability, and in dentistry is minimal.
Revenue from the oil and gas resources beneath the Timor Sea are building up in the national coffers but the (prudent) decision of national Government to restrict access to these funds - and the general lack of managerial expertise and experience - inhibit the undertaking of the large scale development projects that are urgently needed.
 
Patrick A Smythe
20.7.09