With borders reopening earlier this year, a District 9560 Training Team was finally able to visit Timor-Leste in March to reconnect with the Rotarians and Rotaractors who have been ‘cut off’ from the rest of the District for 2 years.

Article by Ron Degenhart, Assistant Rotary Coordinator

The Team included current District Governor Martti Kankkunen and wife Karen for a belated ‘in person’ official visit, as well as current Area Governor Ray Fauntleroy and incoming Area Governor Allison Hooper, and Assistant Trainer PDG Adele Hughes.

In person training is very important for our Timorese Rotarians as English is not their first language, and the internet connection for online learning and meetings is sometimes patchy. During our training sessions, interpreters are available to assist anyone having difficulty understanding.

There are two Rotary Clubs in Timor-Leste; the Rotary Club of Dili and the Rotary Club of Dili Lafaek, both based in the capital Dili. There are also six Rotaract Clubs with the seventh club about to be officially chartered. These clubs are based in Dili and some other more remote centres, enabling Rotary to have an impact in many parts of the country. The Training Team included a visit to Maliana to meet with the members of the Rotaract Club of Bobonaro in the western district.

The Team also Visited the Manatuto Water Project being championed by Karen Kankkunen as her DG Partner Project. The project is being managed by the Rotary Club of Dili Lafaek and the Rotaract Club of Manatuto, and aims to provide a reliable water supply for two schools, the Kaya Rala Secondary School and the Manatuto Vocational School.

The clubs have been very active during the pandemic closures distributing emergency food relief to remote villages affected by both the economic disruptions and the severe flooding event in April 2021. Some of this work was funded by District 9560 through the District’s Timor-Leste Support Fund.

There are some significant events happening this year. Timor-Leste has recently celebrated 20 years of Independence. The Rotary Club of Dili was chartered shortly after Independence and will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary on Sunday 11th September with a commemorative dinner event. Associated with this significant event, District 9560 is arranging a Rotary Study Tour to allow visiting Rotarians to experience parts of this beautiful country, and appreciate Rotary’s role in its ongoing development.

The final details of these events are still in preparation. If you are interested in more information contact Area Governor Ray Fauntleroy at rfauntle@bigpond.net.au