East Timor

Date: 1999

Country: East Timor

In-country Partner: Various East Timor NGOs, Timor Aid, United Nations, US AID

Service: Delivery of 7,000 assembled used bicycles.

Status: Shipment delivered and bicycles distributed.

Outcomes:

Read the case studies of these people in East Timor. Written by Mark Pate.

• Leandro Gauteres aged 25
• Carlito de Cruz and Isabella de Cruz
• Mr Manuel de Christos aged 60
• Kenyan Army division of UN peacekeeps

 

Leandro Gauteres aged 25

Leandro lived in Liquica all his life with his parents and sisters. He has a wife and three children. This is where we set up the distribution centre. When the Indonesian army and the militia unleashed their forces after the September 1999 vote for independence, his town being directly on the road between East and West Timor(Indonesia), Liquica was 80% levelled and any surviving occupants were taken over the border to be resettled in West Timor. They were held in camps for around 6 months - some for years. When Leandro and his family returned to Liquica they found their homes Leandro in centre, standing destroyed. Leandro approached us when the bicycles arrived at our distribution centre and asked if he could be involved. He spoke a little English and we spoke a little Tetum and Indonesian which made communication possible and became a liaison for East Timorese with proposals. Leandro had good mechanical knowledge and was well known and respected by the local people. He became our number one man in organising bike repairs, distribution and worker recruitment. With our help he set up an ongoing bicycle repair business with tyre and tube repairs and a system of bicycle hire for people with produce to move to and from the local markets. He also started a secondary business turning bike parts into trolleys and wheel barrows for use by the locals. When we visited him and his family in 2003 they had an average of 5 people working with him on a casual basis. He rebuilt his home and also facilitated others rebuilding by supplying trolleys to move building materials.

 

Carlito de Cruz and Isabella de Cruz

Carlito was 23 years old and 90% deaf from the age of 5 years due to an Indonesian shell burst that ruptured his eardrums. We first met Carlito in Darwin when we arranged for hearing aids to be fitted at the Darwin hospital. Carlito had developed a great skill at lip reading people from a distance and could speak five languages. This made him in constant demand by the Dili police and Civpol in detecting criminals. Isabella his wife worked as a midwife around villages in Dili. We caught up with them in Dili and were in desperate need of transport to assist in their demanding work. Carlito was given a bike and his wife also. They sent many police to us with requests for Isabella with the children bikes as there was no other transport available to them. Isabella was able to attend to her duties quickly and also sent other midwives and nurses to us for bikes.

 

Mr Manuel de Christos aged 60

Mr de Christos lived in Liquica, ½ kilometre from our distribution centre. He was of Portuguese background and for many years took personal responsibility for the water works of the villages. The pipes which came from far up the river were at least 20 years old and in very poor condition. It was a 5 kilometre walk up the river to where the pure water was tunnelled into the pipes. Due to the unpredictable river surges, he would often have to walk up the river 4 or 5 times a week to repair the pipes, carrying as many tools, joiners and cement needed on his back. His 8 year old son accompanied him on these missions. We arranged for Oxfam to donated a 1000 metre piece of PVC pipe and organised the locals to carry it to the top. This bypassed a lot of problems but there was still 4 kilometres of pipe to Mr Manuel de Christos maintain. Manuel had been doing this for 15 years with no pay and little help. When we learned of his difficulties we supplied him with a bike and side car attached, we also made a large 4 wheeled trolley for him to carry cement and pipes up the river to make repairs. After a few months a small catchment dam was made that was storm proof and guaranteed continual water to the 20,000 people who were often without water. This cement catchment freed him up to concentrate more on teaching others basic plumbing and repairs at a household level. At our request US Aid decided to back-pay him for 3 years work at $5 US a day. With this money he set up a small plumbing business which was built onto the side of his home. From the shop he taught others the trade.

 

Kenyan Army division of peacekeeping forces with the United Nations

The old army base in Liquica was used by the Kenyan army as post to look after the surrounding villages. This was situated about 3 kilometres from our distribution centre. The Kenyan boys often came around to talk and explained the difficulties in obtaining insect repellent or medicines for malaria. There was also the problem of no mobile phone coverage in Liquica. However there was a spot 15 kilometres down the road in a valley where there was coverage. The boys borrowed bicycles to reach this spot where they could call home and speak to their family. They donated money that was used to assist in a few local projects, setting up a library, repairing the local cemetery fence and buying water pipes to improve the local water system. The Kenyan army were not well paid and most of their money was sent back home to their family. Buying a bike was not an option.