Author: Vanessa Dillon

Recently, news reports warned that the health system in Timor-Leste was “in danger of collapsing” following increases in COVID-19 cases. The delta variant of the virus has caused a large upsurge in the number of new cases. The capital Fili and the regional city of Ermera had recorded the most cases. The national hospital in…

Carmel Budiardjo died recently at the age of 96. She was one of the world’s greatest fighters for human rights in those countries whose human rights have been trampled on by the Indonesian military (TNI) with support and acquiescence of the US and its allies, including Australia. She inspired many others to champion the human…

There’s a tree that grows all over Timor-Leste called Marungi or Morgina (Moringa oleifera). It also grows across Asia, Africa and South America, although it is native to India. It’s called the miracle tree or the tree of life. Why? Because every part of this tree is packed with vitamins. The bark, seeds, flowers and leaves…

November 12th 2021 Marks the 30th anniversary of the massacre at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, Timor-Leste. This was the event which finally roused the world to what had been going in East Timor since 1975. The Indonesian occupation had accounted for tens of thousands of Timorese lives, but the rest of the world…

The health system in Catholic-majority Timor-Leste is “in danger of collapsing” following a recent spike in Covid-19 cases, while many health workers have also been infected, the government says.

Dear Valued Supporter, You have no doubt seen the devastation wreaked by the recent flooding in Timor-Leste. Lives have been lost and there has been a large amount of property damage. The impact has been exacerbated by a lengthy COVID-19 lockdown in the country. In addition, the Timor-Leste’s government response to these crises has been somewhat hampered…

Up until very recently, the COVID-19 news from Timor-Leste was rather encouraging, as few cases were reported and people responded to social distancing and mask-wearing well. Churches had been closed, but parishes were ensuring that people had enough food. The parish of Motael is assisting 500 families. In the past few weeks the situation has…

One of the main aims of repaying the debt of honour owed to the Timorese is to assist them in education and job creation. Lisa Wahab, the principal of Mary Immaculate Catholic School Bossley Park, is an educator with a passion to walk the road of educating young children. She sees the need to help…

Brother Francis of the Missionaries of the Poor in Maliana reports that the Children’s Protein Supplement Project is going well. They now have 90 children attending. In the beginning the children were shy, but now come running when the Brothers turn up. They use the time to do a little teaching as well – English…