One of the poorest countries in Asia, Timor-Leste lacks the infrastructure and the resources to meet its people’s healthcare needs. The country is still recovering from the civil strife that has plagued it in recent years. Half of the population lives below the poverty line and basic income. Health and literacy levels are extremely poor. In an effort to alleviate some of the difficulties the people of Timor-Leste face, the Order of Malta’s Australian Association – working in conjunction with the Order’s Embassy in the country – has chosen Timor-Leste as the focus of its international humanitarian projects.
The National Ambulance Service in Timor-Leste is badly under-resourced: there is approximately just one ambulance per 50,000 people and most of these are inoperable. The Order of Malta has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Heath under which it has provided qualified and experienced advisors to assist the Ministry in the complete rehabilitation of the service. The Order has arranged for qualified mechanics to travel to Timor-Leste to repair all of the old vehicles fit for use, and in doing so, will provide training for local mechanics to continue the maintenance program on their departure. In addition the Order has donated a fully equipped ambulance to the Service.
Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Order of Malta has developed the country’s first official, nationally recognised qualification in ambulance care. Last year over 40 participants, including ambulance staff, nurses, midwives, police, teachers and district administrators, completed the Order’s three day Basic Life Support training. The training is delivered as part of the national curriculum for ambulance studies and prepares participants to provide basic ambulance care.
Orphan Support Programme
Timor-Leste has a high number of orphans and no state welfare system to care for them. With high mortality rates of mothers in childbirth and basic poverty preventing families from supporting extra children, orphanages play a vital role in society. The Order of Malta has ‘adopted’ the Carmelite Sister’s orphanage in the town of Maubara, and with the help of volunteers from Australia has reconstructed the bathroom and laundry facilities at the orphanage which were in dire need of repair.
In addition the Order of Malta is facilitating the construction of a Carmelite Home for Young Women and a Community Centre in the capital Dili. This building will eventually be the home for those orphans who have ‘outgrown’ the Maubara orphanage and who wish to continue their education to high school and university. To assist with the education of these orphans, the Order has established the Order of Malta Scholarship Program which will fund the girls’ accommodation and tuition fees. The First Lady of Timor-Leste, Ms Isabel Ferreira has generously agreed to be the Patroness of this important program.
Since Timor-Leste became independent in 2002 the Order of Malta has undertaken varied humanitarian initiatives across the country. The Order’s Embassy supports the medical infrastructure of the island, through projects such as funding the construction of a tuberculosis clinic at Venilale and a birthing clinic at Malabe, as well as donating a container full of birthing equipment to the Ministry of Health for the hospital in Baucau.
