Our last day - Around Oecusse

This was our final day in Oecusse:

Our final goodbye to Mark and Veronica at our hotel in Mahata 

"Oecussi Amasat"  (meaning Beautiful Oecussi.)

Top: L-R:  John Corney, Mark Heywood, Peter Garrard, Michael Mead, Judy Charnaud
Front: L-R: Diane Walker, Bruce Jacob, Veronica Heywood,  Luis Armando, Adown - Pradet Driver

We then travelled to the the East Timor/ Indonesian border post at Secato - only 10Km East from Pante Macassa. We walked around and look at this fairly new facility and naturally stayed on the Oecusse side.

The whole 10Km from Oecusse town to the border has a four-lane highway, which if the skeptics are to be believed is to carry all the heavy machinery to all the ZEEMS projects.

On the way back we saw the power station, which even the skeptics couldn’t say, wasn’t a benefit to Oecusse.

View from the hill top old colonial garrison that overlooks Pante Macassar (Oecusse township)
The airport runway along the coastline is in the middle of the picture

Mother nature is taking back the area



Then final goodbyes at the airport 

Meta and the Pradet team came to the airport to wish us bon voyage

--oOOo--

Reflecting on our visit we had gained a much better knowledge of the country and its situation, difficulties & struggles; thanks to meeting and travelling with people with many years of experience in assisting Timor - Leste improve and develop.

Our trip had seen some amazing things:

Ø The Sustainable Village project that focuses on clean water with bio-sand filters now extend into growing crops and related activities.

Ø The recognition that the locals really do know what is required and frequently outsiders don’t. They appreciate taking part in the planning as well as the execution

Ø A reliable water supply was critical wherever we visited

Ø The ever-increasing demand for better quality education and knowledge from people in what were once remote villages. And teachers who want to make it happen

Ø The compassion and dedication of the people running the shelters, orphanages and safe houses

Ø The multiple benefits of The Green games and how help they bring communities together in so many ways.

Ø The importance of having people 'on the ground' being the vital key factor for success in any international project, especially involving Governmental areas & sensitivities.

Judy and Dr Mari Alkatiri at the airport on our departure

Whilst the success of Judy & Luis’s efforts is most encouraging under what can only be described as very difficult circumstances, - more can be done and needs to be done. 

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