Why Timor Leste?


Timor Leste Vision (TLV) began after a group of university students travelled to Timor Leste (East Timor) in 2004 as part of an immersion program to teach English in rural schools. After seeing the challenging conditions, the group was motivated to set up programs that benefit rural Timorese communities and to raise awareness in Western Australia of the issues facing our Timorese neighbours.

Timor Leste is one of Australia’s closest neighbours and one of the world’s poorest nations. Timor Leste became an independent nation on 20 May 2002 making it the first new nation of the new millennium. Australia and Timor Leste have a long history which includes Timorese resistance to the Japanese invasion in World War II and Australian support for the International efforts to restore peace to Timor in 1999.

Ainaro is one of 13 districts in Timor Leste, located approximately 5-6 hours south of the national capital, Dili. With a population of 52,500 the people of Ainaro survive on subsistence farming and coffee plantations.
 
Access to education is a major issue in Timor Leste, with the literacy rate currently at just 46%.  In Ainaro, these figures are far worse with only 39% of males and 35% of females over the age of 6 able to read and write. In addition, only 6% of people from Ainaro currently have the opportunity to complete High School.