A Report from the 7days in Timor Leste.

District Governor Martti Kankkunen, AG Ray Fauntleroy, AG Elect Allison Hooper and IPDG Assistant Trainer Adele Hughes, and D9560 Newsletter Editor and DG wife, Karen Kankkunen, flew into Dili Wednesday 23rd March to explore Rotary projects in Timor-Leste and to provide District training to the two Rotary Clubs ( Dili and Dili-Lafaeke) and 6 Rotaract Clubs (Dili, Manatuto, Bobonaro, Aileu, Ermera, Cablaqui-Manufahi and Covalima will become the 7th club when it is officially created) 

We were met by Rotary legend David Boyce, Dili President Mario de Jesus, Rotarians Helping Timor officer Judite Martins, and Rotarians Graciana and Acku Amaral. It was very exciting being one of the first flights back in to Timor-Leste.

On Thursday 24th we travelled to Manatuto township and province to check the progress of the Manatuto Schools Water Project, which is Karen's selected project to champion for 2021-2022. 

We were greeted by the Manatuto Rotaract Members, the Principal and staff and students of the new Vocational School which has two curriculum streams currently in Accounting and Agricultural production. The water project will also service the Kay Rala Seconday School, which is about 900 metres away on co-joining land.

 President Filipo Soares and Secretary Elsa Graca facilitated the morning.

The project is proceeding with the bore now at 36 metres and with water found. However, it must be sustainable for the dry season and AG Ray wants it taken down to about 70 metres. He has asked Dili-Lafaeke Rotarians Preto and Acku to oversee the project, and to liase with him, and they are organising another contractor with more sophisticated equipment to complete the bore more efficiently. 

The three water tanks are on order from the Rotary Mill in Bacau. The Rotaractors have big plans to place the tanks on stands and mounds that are to be built to 8 metres in height. 

They also will need to organise the water from the tanks to be reticulated by a 900 metre underground pipe to Kayrala Technical School and 250 metres to Manatuto Vocational School. The next stages will involve water filters, guttering for wet season collection and sanitation.

Saturday, we ran the first of the training days for incoming club officers. Four to five members of each club were invited to attend. 

It was a huge success with all of us leading sessions. 

Sunday morning’s session was Club Assembly and numbers were over 70. Everyone learnt lots and had a few laughs, which fitted in well with DG Martti’s “having fun” philosophy.

 Sunday afternoon’s session saw about 120 Rotaract Club of Dili members attending, which was organised by District Rotaract Representative 2, Pedro Correia. President Elias de Jesus spoke about their many activities, and the Rotaractors had a frank, respectful and important conversation on the challenges they face.

 These involve: getting their members all on to My Rotary, so Ray and Allison will return in September to support this; the issuing of the new RI Fee of $8 per Rotaractor as they are mainly students whose parents live in mountain provinces; and finally finding a permanent meeting space for their large group. DG Martti is investigating options into the fees, while Ray has already sorted a venue.

The last part of our week was taken up with traveling up to Balibo and then on to Bobonaro to visit the members in Delia dos Santos’s village of Cailaco. 

We were greeted by President Juliano Pereira dos Santos, Delia dos Santos, Rotaractors, Village leader, Village elders and students.

 Juliano explained their major projects including essential food and items distribution facilitated by funds from the Rotary Club of Townsville; their English teaching program in three villages; and their recent local Leadership Training workshops. 

Their community would benefit greatly from a Library Learning building. They have secured land. They have some books stored but would also need more Tetun and English readers. The school reality is that desks, chairs and blackboards are also sadly lacking. Ray and Allison will look into options here.

We presented 20 Tetun English dictionaries donated by DG Martti and Karen, and 40 exercise books purchased by Allison and Karen, to help facilitate their English teaching program to primary aged students. Adele also gave the Rotaractors 50 donated caps to distribute.

All in all, an amazing opportunity to work with these great Rotarians and Rotaractors. Hopefully when the next Study Expo is arranged in 2023 by PDG Ron Degenhart, more members of our District 9560 will come up too.