Report on visit to East Timor
by Cr Tracey Carpenter (Bathurst Regional Council) and Ben Bardon, CEO Central West Group Apprentices
March 29 to April 3 2009
 
Context of visit
 
Councillor Carpenter and Mr. Ben Bardon made a visit to East Timor to explore potential links between East Timor and the Bathurst region.  Two other representatives of Central West Group Apprentices were also visiting Dili establishing training management systems with the East Timorese Development Agency.    Meetings were held with the Minister of Finance; Minister of Education, Secretary of State for Vocational Training and the Secretary of State for Agriculture to introduce them to the capacities of the Central West Group Apprentices in training and apprenticeship management and discuss business and development opportunities.  Cr Carpenter’s trip was self financed, Mr. Bardon was travelling in his role as CEO of Central West Group Apprentices. 
 
Meeting with President and District Administrator
 
Cr Carpenter and Mr Bardon met with the President, Mr Ramos Horta, to discuss the work already in process and potential of future contracts for the Group Apprentices and potential links for other Bathurst region organizations and individuals.  President Ramos Horta suggested that contact be made with his own home town, Laclubar in Manatuto Province as a point of contact.  Cr Carpenter and Mr Bardon were also introduced to Mr Alvino, District Administrator for the Manatuto Province.   
 
Picture: Ben Bardon, Tracey Carpenter and President Jose Ramos Horta 
 
Laclubar Visit and Contacts
Cr Carpenter and Mr Bardon the next day travelled by car to Laclubar and made contact with Father Dominguez Gusmao, head of the Escola Secundaria Catolica and the diocesan church Dom Basilio do Nascimento in Laclubar.   
 
Father Domingos expressed enthusiasm for links with the people of the Bathurst region and identified the need for education, training and improved communications particularly in the area of computer technology for the local school.  Gifts of puzzles, books and games from Bathurst Regional Council Visitor Information Centre were distributed to the Principal of the junior school, Sgr Raimund for use by the younger school children. 
 
 
Picture: Teachers from Laclubar School receiving stationary and books from Bathurst Regional Council 
 
Other key issues for the town of 14,000 people - The regular washing away of road access in the wet season limits travel into and out of the town for goods, services and people.  Father Domingos explains some of the population live an eight hour walk from the town. The majority of the population are subsistence farmers reliant chiefly on corn, vegetables and fruit with small goat herds and chickens used for meat and eggs.  There is evidence of loss of tree cover on steep slopes in the region as a result of centuries of logging for sandalwood, firewood and farmland.   Whilst there are areas of regrowth there was also evidence of substantial landslides, so too, the washing away of the road and heavy siltation of rivers downstream.  The town has no doctor and all services must be accessed in the provincial town of Manatuto 1.5 hours away by road on the coast.  There is a police station and small canteen selling basic dried goods.  There is also a basic electricity supply but no land phone lines only mobile coverage from points further down the mountains.  Father Domingos is a fluent English speaker having worked in the Philippines for over a decade.  Many of the children are able to converse in simple English which is not necessarily typical in other areas of East Timor where Tetum and Portuguese are more commonly used.  Local sports include a basic outdoor fields for soccer, volley ball and basketball.  
 
Father Domingos provided a short tour of the town, church and school buildings.   Two rooms are available for accommodation for visitors – two double rooms with ensuites and kitchen facilities in a church residence which can be rented for a small fee. 
 
Picture: Laclubar - church and school buildings on right of photo
 
Laclubar School Building Project
Father Domingos has given immediate priority to electricity and water supply and education. One big problem that has already been presented to the government and the Diocese is the inadequacy of the senior school building. There are currently 60-70 students of 1st year senior high school sharing two classrooms; those numbers will swell with another 200 students in third year junior high school.  Fr. Domingos has requested financial assistance to repair the school building to provide three rooms to accommodate the rapidly swelling school population.  There is no senior high school in the neighbouring region of Soibada and students from that area can only continue their education past junior years if they can be accommodated at the Laclubar school.   
 
 
“Our main problem in Laclubar now is only to repair this old building so that we will accept these studends who are more than 200 including the students from Soibada. Other wise we will leave most of them behind and it is a very big problem for them,” Father Domingos writes.  “If you would come back and if it is possible for you we will show you our design and you may see it by yourself. I believe that with the help of the people from Bathurst we will resolve some of our problems in Laclubar, thank you and God bless you,” Fr Domingos.   

Picture: Students of Laclubar School outside school buildings
 
Contact with Former Bathurst Residents
In Dili we were reunited with two East Timorese who were former residents of Bathurst.  Delta Alves who lived in Bathurst in 1999 shortly after the vote for independence and the violent withdrawal of Indonesian forces.  She was greatly assisted during her stay by a Bathurst doctor and dentist.  She is now married with three daughters and a beauty business in the central city mall.  Francedes Suni who was a well know student of Charles Sturt’s Bachelor of Communication from which he graduated in 2003.  He is now central to the development East Timorese media with the International Centre for Journalism and is recently married with a young baby daughter.
 
Councillor Carpenter also has contacts in the Finance Department and other Government Departments and with the Director of Solar Energy and Bio-generation as well as the President’s office.
 
Future Visits
Later this year the President is planning to complete a private visit (planned as a state visit but cancelled due to the Victorian Bushfires) to Bathurst to give Charles Sturt University 20th Anniversary Lecture and to meet with Bathurst’s Mayor, Council and residents.  
 
Central West Group Apprentices work is on-going – with 120 hospitality trainees commencing.  
 
Links with Laclubar 
Bathurst Friends of Laclubar are fundraising for the school building project through school, church and community groups.  If you would like to contribute or to hear more about the Laclubar school building project and the links with East Timor please contact Tracey Carpenter 0408 228 946 / havannah@bigpond.net.au.  We have many photos and contacts for anyone wishing to help build the friendship links between Bathurst and the people of Laclubar.
 
Investigation is continuing into long term economy building projects in the areas of carbon offsetting, revegetation and solar energy generation.  A return visit to Laclubar is planned in the coming months to develop further contacts with the community of Laclubar and conduct scoping studies for these long term initiatives. There would also be further investigation of the electricity and water supply issues raised by Father Domingos.   
 
  

Picture: School students leaving Laclubar school 
 
 
More Background 
In Dili there is a large level of construction continuing with many embassies and official buildings under way and nearing completion.  There are also a number of hotels and restaurants for visitors.  The harbour is filled with many ships and there are still many UN vehicles in the city.  Many of the international community are there professionally working in aid and development wither with the UN, NGOs or the Timorese Government.  There are a number of supermarkets which cater to their needs and carry a variety of imported goods including even Australian wine and beer.   Dilli is a 45 minute flight from Darwin, via Air North (a Qantas Frequent Flyer partner).  
 
The climate is hot with a wet season from (December to April) it is much cooler and less humid in mountain areas like Laclubar where it can even be quite cool in the evenings.  The coastline is lined with beaches and coral reefs frequented by local fishermen in outrigger canoes.  The main tourist areas are currently limited to Dilli and Los Palos further along the east coast from Manatuto.   Transport is by taxi, four wheel drive hire or public bus/bemo. 

Contact for Laclubar is Fr Domingos Gusmao (Diocese Bacau)

Escola Secundaria Catolica

Dom Basilio do Nascimento

Laclubar

dgusmaofdcc@yahoo.com / Tel +7607268895