The Jesuits in Timor-Leste have established a new organisation called Jesuit Social Services to coordinate and expand its work in a country still struggling to establish itself following decades of occupation by Indonesia and centuries of colonisation by the Portuguese. The organisation is a natural successor of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which was established in Timor-Leste in 2006 following a period of intense internal conflict and displacement.
“When we started the [JRS] programme, our objective was helping dislocated people and accompanying them in the camps and accompanying them home as well,” said Isidoro Costa, Director of the now closed JRS Timor-Leste and Director of the newly-formed Jesuit Social Services Timor-Leste. “We started in September 2007 and by 2009 all the people had been relocated.”
However, JRS continued to work with people whose houses had been occupied in their absence, and implemented internal development projects aimed at alleviating poverty and stabilising communities. Some of this work was done in conjunction with Caritas.
At the end of 2012 it was decided that, having successfully addressed its mandate, JRS would close and a new organisation, Jesuit Social Services, would be created to take over the community projects it had initiated.
“The problem of instability in East Timor still continues, the problem of education. People have been socialised in the way of fighting. We have to continue working on that, to make communities understanding, stable, reflective and [to help them] work closely with government systems,” said Mr Costa.
On June 30, JRS officially wrapped up its presence in this fledging, fractured nation, and handed its projects over to Jesuit Social Services Timor-Leste, which will continue its work on community organisation and income-generating projects in several villages in the Dili region. Jesuit Social Services has already started rolling out an ecology programme in Kasait where the Jesuit secondary school, Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola, was recently opened.
“There is a problem in Kasait with deforestation, with water,” says Mr Costa. “The intention is to work everywhere the Jesuits are – we will be there to compliment what they are doing.”
Local village chiefs have praised JRS for its faithful accompaniment since 2007, and have expressed a desire for ongoing partnership.
“We have really experienced JRS’ help in the past five years, and we will always open our gates to the Jesuits, we will continue to welcome you,” said village chief Antonio Soares Bekora through a translator.
“JRS has helped us in building houses for less fortunate people, and helping to nurture leadership. JRS has worked so hard and has really helped us along, and we know that it will continue to do so in the form of Jesuit Social Services.”
Caption for main photo: The last Jesuit Refugee Service Timor-Leste team with Director Isidoro Costa in the centre of the group, in the back. Most of them will move to the new Jesuit Social Services Timor-Leste, which will be led by Mr Costa.