Village Church in Aileu

On our way to meet farmers in Aileu district, we drove by this church. It's a nice example of traditional Timorese design with the sharply angled roof made of thatch.

Plantation in Ermera

In addition to vegetable farmers, we also work with coffee growers to help them improve the production from their coffee trees by pruning them, and we also help them grow other crops on their land for extra income. This demonstration plot shows some young mango trees, and our project is also encouraging production of cassava.

Vegetable Farmers in Aileu

The economy of Timor-Leste is primarily agriculture, and we have a couple of projects that work with farmers in the higher elevations of the country. The picture shows how small some of the plots of land are that the farmers have to work with, but some simple tools can help a lot. The shiny things in the distance are plastic tunnels that provide cover for vegetable crops during the rains. Just providing a little cover for the plants means that farmers can continue to grow crops when they otherwise might not. We also help with irrigation systems that maximize water during the dry season.

I talked with a few of the farmers and asked them what they do with the extra income. It was great to hear that a lot of them are sending their kids to better schools. We invest in the farmers, and they invest in their kids.