Timor-Leste – Springing life to villagers
Júlio António Sousa Costa, SJ - Jesuit Social Service, Timor Leste -
Region of East Timor
[From “Jesuits 2022 - The Society of Jesus in the world”]
A social Jesuit project in Timor-Leste that brings water and the love of God to many.
I am the present executive director of Jesuit Social Service - Timor Leste (JSS-TL). In April 2020, during the upsurge of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went to Tocoluli, a village in the Ermera district, where I saw a scene that occurred nearly everywhere in the country. I was significantly disturbed as I saw a group of women carrying buckets of water heading towards their house. Minutes later, I got even more concerned as I saw many young students walking towards a nearby primary school carrying 5 litres of water in one hand and books and stationery in the other.
As my curiosity grew, I looked for the cause of such a distressing situation. Like many other schools, I discovered the primary school lacked a basic water facility. Consequently, each student was required to bring 5 litres of water to school daily. These disheartened scenes promptly stirred within me a convincing call to respond to the need of these people. At once, our team decided to implement a water project in Tocoluli, and five months later, we completed it successfully. I feel great joy that the students and 62 households already have access to clean and potable water. Tocoluli is one of 18 localities where JSS-TL has implemented its water projects.
“Normally, we would go to the stream down the hill to wash clothes and take a shower. But, when darkness falls, it becomes unsafe to walk uphill. Now it is easy because the water facility is close to our house,” Etelvina de Jesus, a mother of seven children.
“As a resident in this area, it was sad seeing the miserable condition of our people. They struggled daily, even just for a bucket of water. JSS-TL water facility is a relief and a life changer for many of us, especially women and children. For years, getting a bucket of water had been difficult. Now it is easy, water has come to our door, like Jesus who comes knocking at our door to give us life,” said Ms Mikaela, the president of the Ermera Women Association.
Finally, hours of walking across treacherous cliffs and valleys for a bucket of water are over. They can even innovatively use this facility to explore potential income-generating activities like growing crops. Indeed, water quenches the thirst and springs a new hope for a better life.
Besides public health, agribusiness, and social innovation, one of our primary missions is to provide basic water facilities to isolated communities in remote villages. As JSS-TL has been working on a water project since 2013, we also realized that water scarcity and poor sanitation lead to common preventable diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio in the communities. These health issues could easily be avoided by providing a primary water facility. So, our water project addresses the water shortage problem and resolves social issues. In addition, it unites and builds strong bonds among communities from different groups.
“Our
village was once divided due to personal interests and political affiliation.
Thanks to JSS-TL, we are now united and working together as one community. This
unity is a life-changing experience for our children and us,” said one of the
beneficiaries. These simple words echo the Jesuit vision of “seeing all things
new in Christ.”
Since its independence, the Timorese government has been trying to improve the livelihood of its people. Still, the meagre development and access to essential services are heavily concentrated mainly in the capital, Dili. People in rural areas are often forgotten and more vulnerable to economic exclusion. Consequently, even after 19 years of independence, some rural residents still lament that independence only benefits urban societies.
The
JSS-TL team desires to contribute, no matter how small, to the realization of
the goals set forth by the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030.
Inspired by the vision of the national development plan, JSS-TL hopes to
participate in developing the country’s social capital, infrastructure, and
economy. In union with the government’s vision and with renewed zeal and vigour,
we work in four key areas of social service that identify JSS-TL as a Jesuit
apostolate in Timor-Leste. Our mission goals are ways to embody the social
vision and the loving acts of Jesus Christ - our ultimate model for social
action. Guided by the vision-mission and goals of the Jesuit Region in
Timor-Leste and aligned with the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences,
we are poised to offer our services to the people of our country.
After being in JSS-TL for one year, I firmly believe that God is present in unexpected moments and among the ordinary people in our lives. Nevertheless, my experience constantly raises three essential questions: What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What will I do for him?
Source : Jesuitsglobal
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