The Future is Equal

Where We Work

Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste banner

Timor-Leste is a nation comprising half of the island of Timor, in Southeast Asia. Timor-Leste is highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters, and is considered the seventh most disaster-prone country in the world. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the negative consequences of drought, landslides, and floods. Gender-based violence is prevalent across Timor-Leste and research shows that climate emergencies can lead to further increases in domestic violence.

Timor-Leste is home to about 1.3 million people and is one of the poorest countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Almost half the population lives below the poverty line. According to the UNDP Human Development Report, Timor Leste is among the bottom six Asian countries with a low Human Development Index and the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index.

Although it is well-placed to serve the Asian market, there are many hurdles to establishing a thriving business in Timor-Leste, including poor roads and access to banking services. Agriculture dominates the economy, accounting for 15 percent of GDP and approximately 39 percent of employment. Insufficient food production and an under-developed local market have led to a dependency on imports of rice and other commodities. Malnutrition and poor health are widespread and most rural households suffer from food shortages for at least one month of the year.

One of the key issues facing the people of Timor-Leste is a lack of skills in key areas from government planning to community self-determination. Capacity to deliver essential services remains weak and the rebuilding of infrastructure and civil administration remains a huge challenge.

 

Quick facts from the World Bank, UN Human Development Report, and UNICEF:

  • Capital of Timor-Leste: Dili

  • Population: 1,343,875 (2022)

  • GDP per capita (USD): $1,442.73 (2021)

  • Human Development Index: 0.606, rank 141 (2021)

  • Language: Official languages are Portuguese and Tetum

  • Adult Literacy: 68.1 (2021)

  • Life expectancy: 69.5 years (2021)

  • Access to safe water: 78% (2021)

  • People living below the national poverty line: 41.8% (2021)

A woman waters her garden from a green watering can

KEY PROJECTS

In Timor-Leste, women’s mobility, security, advancement and voice are influenced by a range of highly restrictive patriarchal social norms. Women frequently have less control over the assets on which their livelihoods depend, especially land.

An important aspect of improving women’s land rights will be making sure that formal and informal leaders recognise the how important it is that women have these rights in the first place. 

For climate finance to provide the best possible return and the most impact, it must get to where it is most needed. Women and other vulnerable groups in Timor-Leste have not yet been able to adequately, equitably and optimally access or benefit from climate finance.

To put it simply, for women to get more access to this funding, they need to be at the table when the decisions are being made.

 

This initiative aims to strengthen the climate change adaptation capacities of households and communities in rural Timor-Leste, addressing the critical intersections between gender, disability, and climate change.

By supporting Oxfam you will:

  • Support local efforts to improve land rights in Timor-Leste to ensure more women own and control the land they farm

  • Contribute to local legal aid for women seeking to navigate land registration processes

  • Help educate farmers about their rights and how to protect them

  • Improve women’s access to climate finance

  • Ensure that there is greater transparency around how climate finance is used, especially in how it addresses the needs of women

Tonga

Tonga header image, farm

Country profile:

The Kingdom of Tonga is a remote, low-lying archipelago in the South Pacific comprised of 171 islands. Over two-thirds of the population live on the largest island of Tongatapu.

Tonga has a vulnerable small island economy and is susceptible to natural disasters. Its isolation and scattered population create economic difficulties including high transport costs and limited markets. There are very few salaried employment opportunities for young people and a high level of outward migration, with a heavy dependence on Tongans earning income outside the country and sending it back home. Those who do stay and work in Tonga are overwhelmingly engaged in work with agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

It is a constitutional monarchy undergoing political reforms. The country is slowly inching towards full democracy and addressing issues of representation, accountability and transparency.

Quick facts from the UNDP Human Development Report and The World Factbook:

  • Region: Polynesia

  • Capital: Nuku’alofa

  • Population: 105,780 (July 2021 est.)

  • GDP per capita (USD): $4903 (2019)

  • Human Development Index: 0.725 (2019)

  • Language: Tongan, English

  • Adult literacy: 99.4% (2018)

  • Life expectancy: 77 years (2021)

  • Access to safe water: 99.6% (2020)

  • Access to toilets: 98.9% (2020)

  • Infant mortality rate: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2021)

  • Most of the population have access to basic infrastructure and only 8.3% have no access to electricity. (2021)

  • Only 2% of land titles are owned by women. (2019)

  • 64% of women have experienced gender-based violence in their lifetime. (2020)

Man standing in garden

In January 2022, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) erupted and Tonga is still recovering from its effects. Ash blanketed crops and massive waves destroyed fishing boats and soaked fertile farmland with salt water. Our long-time partners, Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) leapt into immediate action desalinating and distributing safe water to affected populations, particularly women, children, people living with disabilities and the elderly.

TNYC deploy water desalination units in Tonga, wearing orange rests
TNYC deploy water desalination units in Tonga, wearing orange rests

Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC)

Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) is one of Oxfam’s local partners in Tonga.

Established in 1991, TNYC is a civil society organisation that works with youth to encourage and empower their talents and creativity.

TNYC is the national focal point for organic farming. They promote and develop income generation opportunities through the Future Organic Farmers of Tonga (FOFT) programme. In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, it provides training, farm demonstrations and monitoring and evaluation of agricultural activities.

TNYC raise awareness of the benefits of organic farming and provide support and advice on local and international marketing strategies. They also coordinate a network of organic organisations. Collective action means that organic growers can be more effective in lobbying the government for support.

Past projects

Oxfam’s RESULT programme worked together with The Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) to ensure that organic farming is sustainable for farmers. The goal was to establish a viable youth-led and community-focused business, selling virgin coconut oil and dried vanilla bean.

Cash for Crops

Once the immediate needs were met in the aftermath of the HTHH eruption, Oxfam began work with another partner, the Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT) to look at livelihoods.

Farming families throughout Tonga found themselves either with an entire harvest’s worth of crops destroyed by sea water or a healthy harvest, but no means to transport it to market to sell it.

Oxfam collaborated with 12 farms to help harvest crops, buy them, and redistribute them to families who had been displaced.

These farms were supported with labourers hired from the communities, so both the farms and the local labour population benefitted. Where other programmes might ship in non-perishable imported food to communities after a disaster, this programme focused on sourcing the locally-grown, nutritious produce that are staples of the Tongan diet and redistributing it to families in need.

This initiative, known as Cash for Crops, has benefitted about a thousand families from Patangata, Popua, Ha’atafu and Kanokupolu villages and Fonoi and Numuka Islands.

Cash for Crops impact graphic

BY SUPPORTING TONGA YOU WILL

  • Help to provide hygiene kits containing essentials such as soap, reusable water buckets and food parcels.

  • Help give families the tools, raw materials, and supplies they need to rebuild their farms and fishing businesses.

  • Help build, deliver, and maintain desalination units that produce clean drinkable water from sea water.