Timor-Leste 2023: Connection

Compiled by Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain and Ms Tracey Markovic, Assistant Head of Junior School Operations

The 2023 trip to Timor-Leste can be summed up in two words: connection and re-connection. Long-term friendships and partnerships that have been developing since the first Radford cohort visited Timor-Leste in 2009 were renewed after the COVID-19 hiatus. Plus, new connections and relationships were formed as we connected and re-connected with people and places.

A total of 24 Year 11-12 students and five staff travelled to Timor-Leste during the mid-year break. Every day was filled with rich and meaningful experiences that will have a lasting impact on everyone who made the journey.

The generous hospitality and warm welcome we received everywhere we went were gifts the students have reflected upon since returning. Learning about the political, economic, and environmental situations faced by the Timorese and how the past continues to impact the present were also a significant part of the experience. We continue to reflect on what it means to be a good friend to one of our closest neighbours. Reflections from students included:

The Timor experience was unlike any other. With [Radford staff] Santos, Tina and Tracey’s connections, it was like having a VIP pass into the different communities of Timor-Leste. There was a mutual trust built between us and our Timorese friends and peers that not only allowed us to help and teach, but also to learn and form genuine connections.

A memory that will always remain vivid in my mind is the incredible kindness and hospitality I experienced at Barry's Place. Neka, Ansa, and Jai all showered us with immense love and generosity. The friendship and warmth they exhibited towards us is something I will always remember. In Timor, I learnt not to take my circumstances for granted. It is incredibly easy to become absorbed in our fast-paced lives and forget how fortunate we truly are. Therefore, I aspire to always be mindful of how lucky I am and constantly remind myself of that and never take it for granted. Additionally, I want to always try and maintain strong connections with individuals as I have witnessed the profound impact that connections and friendships can have through my experience in Timor. Going forward, I aim to always nurture and cherish these connections with others, ensuring that I never underestimate the significance of these connections and friendships.

Travelling, meals, church services, and conversations were all opportunities to learn more from the people that we met, the places we visited and each other.

Below is some of our itinerary so that you get a sense of where we went. It might even inspire you to take up the invitation from the Timorese Ambassador to Australia, Her Excellency Ms Inês Maria de Almeida, to go and visit Timor-Leste yourself!

• Learning the history of Timor-Leste through time spent at Chega Museum and the Timorese Resistance Archive Museum. We had a moment of commemoration at the Santa Cruz Cemetery, a memorial to those who were killed during the Indonesian occupation. Our time learning was especially profound due to hearing from survivors who shared their first-hand accounts.
• Volunteering at Kantina Matak, a café at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace, which is part of an education and food program initiated by the President for children living in Dili.
• Travelling to the town of Same to stay with ex-pat Brian and his family at Umaliurai Hotel. On the way, we stopped in the town of Aileu to visit the social enterprise Projecto Montanha, where we saw the difference that vegetable gardens, art and music programs, dental programs and sustainable crafts were making in the local community.
• In Same, we spent time at the local AHHA Secondary School, joining in English lessons, singing, dancing, solving the Rubik’s cube (a daily lesson at the school) and playing soccer. After some initial hesitation from both groups, a Radford student broke the ice and approached the Timorese students. The two groups then became one as stories, language, music, and culture were shared.
• Walking around and exploring Dili was a highlight for many students. Seeing aspects of daily life at the waterfront, a sunrise walk up to Cristo Rei, and conversations with Timorese friends who were travelling with us brought different perspectives.
• A morning spent at Dare Memorial School was a highlight for many students due to the interactions with staff and students. Each of the Radford students brought their personalities, gifts and skills to the fore as impromptu soccer skills, drumming, conversations, and games delighted the primary-aged students. This gave the Timorese staff a chance to share the joys, challenges and plans for their school with Radford staff.
• A visit to Dare Memorial Museum and Cafe was an opportunity to reflect on the Timor-Australia relationship during WWII.
• Several MAF flights later, our whole group arrived at Barry’s Place on Atauro Island! This section of the trip was a chance to catch up with Mario and Joas (who have visited Radford and welcomed many Radford groups over the years), as well as enjoying soccer against local teams, beach clean up, incredible snorkelling, a visit to social enterprise Boneca de Atauro and the recycling centre Ekipa Tasi Mos.

Thank you to all the students for giving themselves to the experience and representing the College so well. A big thank you to Radford staff members Juliao Amaral Dos Santos (known throughout Radford as Santos), Mrs Tina Crane, Ms Tracey Markovic, Mr Scott Corbett and Dr Katherine Rainger for accompanying the students. We have all returned changed and enriched by the experience.

The invitation to continue to "vizaun hamutuk" (dream for the future together) with our Timorese friends and partners is open to all of us in the Radford community. Students currently in Years 10 and 11 are invited to apply to attend the 2024 Timor-Leste trip. Applications will be on Nexus in the next few weeks.