Timor Aid is a highly regarded East Timorese non- governmental aid organisation. Its roots go back many years to the period of struggle for the right of self-determination of the people of East Timor. Timor Aid has among its founders well- known local personalities.

Timor Aid had a significant, and much praised, involvement in the emergency 

Timor Aid's staff, supported by a multinational team of technical experts, is currently shifting from emergency into long-term development work, with programs in Health, Capacity Building, Income Generation to name a few.

In addition to the main office in Dili, Timor Aid has field offices in five districts: Viqueque; Manufahi; Ainaro; Covalima; and the Oecussi enclave.

Micro-Credit

The soon-to-be independent country of East Timor is one of the poorest in South East Asia. A top priority is the development of an entrepreneurial capacity among its population.

Internationally famous Nobel Laureate and East Timorese Leader Dr José Ramos-Horta allocated part of his Nobel Peace Prize fund to a micro-credit facility with the objective of enabling the poor to become self-reliant through income generating activities and the empowering of communities in establishing self-employment ventures.

Up till December 2000 loans were made to 80 groups (33% of which are women's), and the level of repayment was 100%. This is a substantial boost to family independence and national economic independence.

CeTTil

At the beginning of 1999 Timor Aid opened the East Timor Training Centre in Jakarta to train East Timorese students in English, Portuguese and computer skills.

CeTTil (East Timor Training Centre) ceased its presence in Jakarta in September 1999 because of the adverse political conditions and reopened in Becora, Dili, in December 1999. Each term 360 students are admitted but at present there are still 1570 students on the waiting list.

This year (2000) CeTTil opened another branch in Fatuhada (Dili) for former Falintil resistance fighters. Timor Aid has been asked to provide Falintil members with classes in English, Portuguese and computer skills, as most of them are now unemployed and lack skills to obtain jobs.

Capacity Building

Timor Aid is committed to giving priority to the employment of East Timorese as managers. The aim of training Timor Aid staff, or capacity building, is to make Timor Aid into a local East Timorese NGO which is managed primarily by East Timorese people, who are capable of implementing relief and development programs in East Timor.

Through partnering expatriate managers with East Timorese counterparts, Timor Aid hopes to build a local Timorese capacity by the end of the project.

Health

Timor Aid has been involved in the provision of health services since the emergency period of 1999, and is continuing to provide these services in the post-emergency period. Timor Aid has been appointed by the East Timorese Administration as the agency responsible for health services provision in one of the 13 Districts of East Timor - Ainaro.

The overall objective of the health program is to contribute to the rebuilding of the health services in East Timor, which have been completely destroyed. Timor Aid's health services aim to be appropriate, accessible and sustainable.

Women's development

The long-term effects of the Indonesian occupation and recent devastation are a major concern to women. Few now have the opportunity or skills to earn money for themselves and their families. However many women are anxious to return to the work force, send their children to school and rebuild their lives.

From its beginnings Timor Aid has recognised the importance of the role of women in the creation of a democratic and prosperous East Timor. The President of Timor Aid, Maria do Ceu Federer, is also the adviser to the organisation's Women's Development Program. This program initiated by her in July 1998 aims to provide East Timorese women with opportunities for employment, income generation, education and training, for the sake of improving the quality of life of themselves and their children.

Civic Education

A primary objective of the current transition towards independence in East Timor is the preparation of the people for democratic life. A civic education program is needed in order to strengthen the people's awareness of their rights and obligations as members of a democratic society.

Timor Aid's civic education program aims to be sensitive to the culture and socio-economic circumstances of the people, and simultaneously be faithful to the values of democracy, human rights, and good governance.

Fisheries

As a result of extensive consultation with communities, Timor Aid identified fisheries as a key area for alleviating poverty and building a strong economic foundation for the future of East Timor.

Timor Aid's objective is to develop a fisheries unit with strong technical capacity in fisheries, combined with project management and community development skills. This will alleviate poverty, and create opportunities for East Timorese to benefit from the fish resources in East Timor waters.

Scholarships

Timor Aid is the manager of scholarship funds supplied by Statoil, the oil company owned by the Norwegian government. The funds are for the purpose of assisting East Timorese students with post school or tertiary level education. During 2000 one hundred and six (106) university students were given scholarships to return to Indonesia to complete the final stages of their degrees.

Welfare

The Timor Aid welfare program aims to help dispossessed and disabled children and youth of Timor to obtain education and health, according to their hopes and needs. The work focuses on four areas: 1) disabled (physical, mental, blind, deaf); 2) orphans (those inside and outside of orphanages); 3) street children and poor; 4) school hostels for rural youth. Timor Aid cooperates with many religious orders of nuns in carrying out this work.