Our development programs
East Timor — Oecussi Rural Development
_____________________________________________________________
|
Caritas Australia continues to provide
assistance to communities in East Timor
|
Partner Agency: Caritas Australia
Funding in 2009/10 financial year: USD $350,000
Start and end date OR duration: July 2009 –
June 2010
Target: Oecussi based local NGOs and Oecussi rural
communities
Geographic location: Oecussi
Sector focus: Integrated Rural Development
When established: started in 1999
In the East Timor enclave of Oecussi, the Rural Development program
helps to develop the capacity of local NGOs in project management, as
well as increase environmental awareness amongst local communities.
In Oecussi most people are involved in subsistence farming, but
depleted land and animal resources, poor rainfall and a harsh, isolated
terrain, often result in poor harvests. The people of Oecussi are
therefore very vulnerable to food shortages, and malnutrition levels
have reached as high as 40% in children.
The Rural Development program, through outreach, education and
training, introduces communities to alternative technologies in
sustainable agriculture. Simple sustainable practices such as building
water storage tanks and planting trees helps the community secure crops
for themselves, which improves nutrition, and helps to generate income
by having crops to sell at the market.
The program also works to develop the capacity of Oecussi based local
NGOs in organisational management and in management of the project
cycle, enabling them to deliver efficient and sustainable community
development programs themselves. This approach of transferring skills
and knowledge into local hands empowers local people, helping them to
help themselves.
Back to top
|
