Timor-Leste

CARE has been operating in Timor-Leste since 1994, originally as part of CARE Indonesia and as an autonomous Country Office since 2000. In that time, we have been engaged in two major emergency responses following violent events in 1999 and 2006.  

© Josh Estey/CARE

CARE in Timor-Leste focuses on long-term sustainable development projects in agriculture and disaster risk reduction, education, community health and nutrition, capacity building, urban community outreach and peace-building, rural infrastructure and employment, and women’s participation and gender equality.

In particular, our work in Timor-Leste focuses on:

·         Health

·         Community empowerment and income generation

·         Education

·         Disaster risk reduction

·         Food security and disaster preparedness

Download more information on CARE’s work in Timor-Leste

 

Help her live

People are food secure when they don’t live in hunger or starvation. Unfortunately this isn’t the case for many people all over the world. Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in Asia and over one-third of the population regularly experiences food shortages.

CARE is working with 3000 households in Timor-Leste to help families to gain food security. Through this project we aim to address the underlying causes of poverty through promoting the empowerment of women, men and youth groups to access social and agricultural support services, increasing agricultural productivity. We are also increasing availability of improved seed through production at the household level and mainstreaming community based disaster risk management for sustainable production systems.

The project recognises that improving food security requires involving communities and addressing social, economic and environmental factors so that communities can move from subsistence farming – that is farming that provides only the basic need for a household without extra to sell or trade - to more diverse income-generating opportunities.

Learn more about CARE’s work with women and girls

 

© Jane Dempster/CARE   ‘I now understand skills that only men knew before.' Agustina was once forced to walk up to a whole day to collect fresh drinking water. A CARE project brought her and other members of her community together to build a clean water system. The system now supplies 260 people with clean water, something the communities have never had before. Read more about Agustina and the work of CARE in her village

 

CARE's Education Project in Timor-Leste Lafaek Magazine is the only local language (Tetun) printed educational resource in Timor-Leste. CARE produces this much-loved magazine which covers topics ranging from geography, language, health, culture and science to discussions of issues like peace, international affairs and women's rights. CARE's dedicated staff distribute Lafaek to even the most remote villages and schools, giving copies to all school-age children in the country.