The trip to Maubisse - Lekitei between April 29th and May 15th 2010 gave Jim the opportunity to extend his Rotary service. This is not the first overseas project that Jim has joined demonstrating his commitment to the service ideals of Rotary

Jim talked about the happy friendly people he met from whom he tried to learn a little of the languages of the region. Relationship differences between dialect groups of the district are apparent while working with the local workers, some of whom have a grasp of Indonesian, English and Timorese. It is the individual dialect groups that allow a private conversation.

Students are diligent at attending school except during the coffee harvest season when all hands are required to bring in the crop. Primary students attend school in a relocated tin shed furnished with bamboo furniture.

Similarly the new secondary school is also a tin shed except the internal walls are lined and the complex includes an office area and a toilet block. The government provides food for childrens lunches as their diet at home can be scarce and not very nutritious. School lunches consist of rice, beans and palm oil.

Across Timor Leste hundreds of projects are in progress driven by groups from outside the country, all projects are needed and all volunteers keen to help rebuild the country destroyed by foreign occupiers as they left tthe country allowing Timor Lester to advance to becoming an independent country. There is a risk that the Timorese people may become dependant on aid so they are encouraged to take control of projects and facilities as they near completion. New and ongoing projects will continue for some years as internal wealth, skills and resources continue to grow and mature.