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Accelerating the water project in Timor-Leste

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Jose standing outside the office of JSS in Taibessi, Dili, Timor-Leste. Image taken by Gervaldo.

This month’s eNews coincides with World Water Day on 22 March. We reached out to Jose, the Program Manager Assistant for Jesuit Social Service’s (JSS) Water Project in Timor-Leste on the importance of his role.

[quotes]“I started working here in mid-2021. JSS needed a person to help in accelerating the implementation of the water project in rural areas and I was hired for the job.”[/quotes][quotes_author color="#000"] Jose [/quotes_author] [break height=30] [quotes]“I hope to give more formation on water management and also on environment protection, how to take care of water by protecting and conserving the ecosystem that supports the sustainability of water."[/quotes] [break height=20]

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The water project helps bring life-changing new water systems to remote villages in Timor-Leste, which is vital in a country where one-third of people in rural villages do not have access to clean safe water.

The burden of collecting water often falls to children, who have to walk up to five hours each day, carrying heavy containers of water.

Jose (left) in the JSS office with his team. Image taken by Gervaldo.

[quotes] “What I like the most about this program is that I can be part of the JSS team and I can apply my knowledge and skills to help others."[/quotes][quotes_author color="#000"] Jose [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

Prior to his role at JSS, Jose studied community development at university and was also a coordinator and activities organiser for Magis group in Timor-Leste.

Now his tasks include contacting beneficiaries and coordinators at the project locations in order to organise meetings and mobilise the resources needed to finish the establishment of the water facilities.

Thanks to your generosity, Jesuit Mission’s partnership with JSS has brought clean water to more than 12 rural villages, transforming the lives of thousands of people.

Find out more about our water projects and other health and basic rights projects.

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A family celebrates the inauguration of clean water in their village.

Gifts for Change Easter

Instead of buying chocolate eggs for someone this Easter, you could consider supporting our Gifts for Change Program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Finding Light

Let us join together in the Prayer of Finding Light written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Milk for malnourished children in Vietnam

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Thanks to your generosity, 8,000 at-risk children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam received emergency food packages and milk.

For three months in 2021, Ho Chi Minh City was in complete lockdown, where residents were forbidden from leaving their homes – even to shop for food, or exercise. Soldiers enforced stay at home orders and helped with limited food deliveries.

These restrictions to control the spread of COVID 19, since lifted, forced millions of migrant workers out of employment and into emergency levels of poverty and hunger. Mothers were struggling to feed their babies because of poor diet, leaving thousands of children malnourished.

In response, the Jesuits in Vietnam launched the Charity Rice and Food Supplies project to support hundreds of families in crisis in the Southern Provinces of Vietnam and help them survive.

The project was implemented through a great collaboration of lay volunteers, religious sisters and brothers, and trained social workers, all of whom were willing to serve vulnerable communities together during an intense period of the pandemic.

In addition, the project supports many elderly people by providing them with food, rice, milk and soup.

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Gifts for Change Easter

Instead of buying chocolate eggs for someone this Easter, you could consider supporting our Gifts for Change Program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Finding Light

Let us join together in the Prayer of Finding Light written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

“The first need is to welcome these people”

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An interview with Marius Talos SJ, Director of JRS Romania since 2013, who is welcoming refugees in Romania.

What was the situation in Romania before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine?

We find ourselves in a situation that we did not imagine two weeks ago. Faced with this tragic surprise, we want to make the maximum effort to find the minimum support for those millions of displaced people.

Due to its vocation, JRS Romania is not an emergency organisation, so we had to improvise essential assistance in terms of food, clothing, mattresses, medicine… And, at the same time, we have to ensure accommodation and legal advice for those who want to seek asylum in Romania. We must bear in mind that the average number of asylum applications (for JRS) annually is around 6,000, while this year we have had 3,200 in two weeks. It is something we never had before in Romania.

Safe transportation opportunities must also be provided both within the country and towards the borders with other Western countries. Safe transportation must be offered to these war victims.

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What needs do people who are arriving at the border have? What is the work that JRS does?

There are three stages in this assistance.

The first need is to welcome these people, who have spent more than two days before being able to cross the border (Romania shares a 650 km border with Ukraine).

Then you have to find how to meet the needs of food and accommodation.

It is winter, with very low temperatures, below zero, so there is also a great need for warm clothing. Then medicines, personal hygiene and sanitary items. It is necessary to ensure a minimum heating for them and they must be assisted at a legal level to continue the journey, to request asylum in the country, which is requested by less than 10% of the population that passes through Romania.

And it is also necessary to provide psychological assistance for people who have experienced unimaginable trauma.

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Mothers with children and babies who will never be able to find their husbands or fathers. You have to assure them of assistance.

In addition to Ukrainians, refugees from other countries are also fleeing the country and arriving at the border.

Yes. We have to distinguish between refugees from Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, because in addition to Ukrainians, there are also students from Asia and Africa who want to leave the country as soon as possible to save their lives.

The transit for one and the other is not the same and, sometimes, it is more difficult to ensure the transit of students of African origin who have to wait for contact with their embassies to see how to resolve the trip to their countries of origin. There is a global problem, but with different nuances for each country in this situation.

Who were the people you welcomed before this crisis at the Arrupe House in Bucharest? Now you will also have to welcome these victims of the war in Ukraine.

The Padre Arrupe Centre, founded in 2000 by a Belgian Jesuit priest, has welcomed thousands of refugees from virtually every part of the world. In the last 8 years the majority came from the Middle East: Syria, Sub-Saharan Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Kurdish population from four different countries (Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey).

But there are also Vietnamese and people from Sri Lanka, from Colombia, who complete the picture of refugees with a new reality for Romania: the reality of economic migrants. People who do not leave their countries of origin for reasons such as war, famine or natural calamities, but for lack of vital resources.

Here we offer shelter to people who are waiting for a response from the Romanian State and live for a few weeks, a few months or a couple of years in a transitional regime. In addition to a humanitarian reception, which is an alternative to detention on Romanian territory, we offer legal and social advice and open our space for cultural associations. We offer a place of coexistence at a social and cultural level and training courses and workshops in Internet, Romanian and English.

How do you expect this Ukrainian crisis to evolve? Do you expect the arrival of many more refugees in Romania?

There is hope against any despair. We are very discouraged by what we hear from people coming from Odessa and southern Ukraine. But despite this discouragement, we hope that the conflict will not escalate into nuclear war. And we hope to see an end to this humanitarian crisis that affects millions of people.

What would you ask to those reading this interview?

That with their help they have been present on a border that they could not even see until now. It seems to me that a Europe in crisis is much smaller, because it is much more supportive. I sincerely appreciate this generosity that reveals us brothers and sisters even without knowing each other. We keep going. Thank you.

Interview previously published by Entreculturas.

Images taken by Sergi Camara and Marco Giarraca.

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Jesuit networks rally emergency support for Ukraine

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We are so grateful for the wonderful support and generosity for our Ukraine Emergency appeal from supporters, parishes and school communities. Together we are providing hope to those who are facing extreme injustice and conflict.

The appeal provides emergency shelter, food and essential items, medical escorts, translation and accompaniment to Ukrainian people in desperate need, made possible thanks to a partnership between Jesuit Mission and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe.

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JRS Europe is coordinating the emergency response by mobilising support from offices across Hungary, Poland, Romania, Macedonia, south east Europe as well as within Ukraine.

In Lviv, Ukraine, a Jesuit house has already been converted into a transit home for the displaced and in Romania and Poland, JRS is responding to an influx of refugees like never before.

To meet the growing needs, JRS is also collaborating with other religious congregations to find additional accommodation options.

In Romania JRS continues to be present in Bucharest and at the borders to ensure first necessities, and legal advice for those who want to seek asylum.

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“It is deeply distressing seeing our Ukrainian sisters and brothers suffer like this. Any donation towards the Jesuits’ vital efforts will make an enormous difference on the ground,” said Helen Forde CEO of Jesuit Mission.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to mass displacement and violence against men, women and children.

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According to the United Nation’s High Commissioner, the war has forced 10 million civilians to flee from their homes, including about 3.5 million who have sought refuge in other countries already.

Pope Francis called for an end to the conflict, urging people to support the vulnerable Ukrainan people.

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“Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery. The number of victims is increasing, as are the people fleeing, especially mothers and children. The need for humanitarian assistance in that troubled country is growing dramatically by the hour.”

After meeting with refugees at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border in early March, Jesuit Cardinal Michael Czerny was grateful to see the support that many refugees were receiving.

"I am so happy to see how everyone is working together to meet the needs of the people who are fleeing for their lives and where they can have their first security, first rest and take the next steps,” he said.

Jesuit Mission stands in solidarity with the devastated families in Ukraine, and urges supporters to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

DONATE NOW

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Gifts for Change Easter

Instead of buying chocolate eggs for someone this Easter, you could consider supporting our Gifts for Change Program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Finding Light

Let us join together in the Prayer of Finding Light written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Riding from one opportunity to the next

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Rambo smiled with confidence as he rode his bicycle out of the school gates on graduation day. For three years he lived and studied at Jesuit-run St Joseph’s Catholic Hostel, in Siem Reap, Cambodia thanks to your support.

Since graduating at the end of 2021, Rambo has passed the national qualifying exam and has enrolled in Public Administration at the University of Southeast Asia in Siem Reap.

For students like Rambo, being accepted into university was an unattainable dream, made possible by your generosity.

As one of six siblings, his parents struggled to make ends meet. He often lacked food, clothing and school materials and would walk to school without breakfast.

It hurt to see how his parents suffered to raise the family.

As a result, at 16, he left Cambodia for Thailand to work as a fruit-harvester for six months, to help support his family. With no proper identification or documentation, he risked ending up in Thailand’s prisons if he was caught.

After six months working as a farmer he began working at a small Thai restaurant but missed his family greatly. He returned home after he found a job working as a labourer in a warehouse in his hometown.

[quotes]“I had no ambition to study anymore. I just wanted to work so I would be able to build my own future." [/quotes][quotes_author color=#000] Rambo [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

In 2017, when he was 18, he met his former parish priest who was now assigned in Siem Reap. Through our project partner, the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang headed by Spanish Jesuit, Bishop Kike Figaredo, he was given the opportunity to stay in the hostel and study secondary education.

For three years, he studied well, helped the parish and created a network of good friends.

At 21 years old now, his future is looking very bright.

[quotes]“I am happy. I will live a dignified life and will share with others what I have."[/quotes][quotes_author color=#000] Rambo [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

The Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang supported over 280 people in 2021. Covering nine Provinces in Cambodia, the project provides education scholarships, accommodation and holistic support to children and young adults living with poverty.

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First Spiritual Exercises - Companionship

Let us join together in the Prayer of Companionship written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

13 Nepali detainees return home

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In late 2021 we received news that 13 Nepali detainees in the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Bangkok, Thailand, were safely released and returned home to their families in Nepal.

Incarcerated because they lack correct visa or paperwork, these families in pursuit of a better quality of life in Thailand, are separated and abysmal conditions wreak misery.

Once detained, they are often at the lowest point in their lives.

Ex-detainee Chandra, now back in Nepal, is enjoying his freedom and has begun a great job as a cook in a Nepali restaurant.

[quotes]“For me it is a joy to work, even though the work is hard. I enjoy cooking Nepali chicken curry."[/quotes][quotes_author color=#000] Chandra [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

Thanks to your generosity, our partner The Jesuit Foundation, supports over 6,000 people each year in the Bangkok IDC, providing practical help and pastoral care for detainees.

The project provides healthcare delivered by a doctor or nurse, including hospital referrals, and social services and basic supplies such as food, clothes and blankets - particularly for the elderly and vulnerable.

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It also provides administrative support and solutions for detainee release, including organising travel documents and visas.

Due to COVID-19, airfares were much more expensive and families of the ex-detainees could only cover some of the cost. In response The Jesuit Foundation financially supported the outstanding cost of flights for those returning home.

[quotes] “Thank you very much for your kindness and support. After 19 years (detained) I am very happy.” [/quotes] [break height=5] [quotes_author color=#000]Netra, another ex-detainee that recently returned home to his family.[/quotes_author] [break height=30]

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First Spiritual Exercises - Companionship

Let us join together in the Prayer of Companionship written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Pilgrims 100 raise $85,000 for Timor-Leste water project

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The Adelaide collective giving group known as Pilgrims 100 has raised $85,000 for the Jesuit Mission-supported water project, that is installing clean and safe water facilities in remote communities in Timor-Leste.

Run by our partner Jesuit Social Service (JSS) Timor-Leste, the water project helps bring life-changing new water systems to remote villages in Timor-Leste, which is vital in a country where one-third of people in rural villages do not have access to water.

The burden of collecting water often falls to children, who have to walk up to five hours each day, carrying heavy containers of water.

This is an exhausting task for children and as a result they are unable to focus in the classroom and many give up on their studies.

Children in Tocoluli village celebrate the inauguration of clean water.

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Jesuit Mission has been supporting the water program for the past three years and during this time JSS has brought clean water to more than 12 villages!

Last week at an Awards Night held on Zoom, Pilgrims 100 members voted to support the water project, which is currently transforming the lives of thousands of vulnerable people.

Pilgrims 100 is an inspiring initiative launched by St Ignatius' Norwood parishioners, alumni and friends in 2020 in partnership with Jesuit Mission. The concept is that each member gives $1,000, the funds are then pooled and the members vote on which Jesuit Mission program will receive the funds.

If you would like to be involved in Pilgrims 100 to support programs like this, please contact Pilgrms 100 co-founders James Hill and Genevieve Hill 0412 163 142 or pilgrims100@ jesuitmission.org.au.

Children in Rematu village celebrate the inauguration of clean water.

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First Spiritual Exercises - Companionship

Let us join together in the Prayer of Companionship written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Winning Project 2021

At an Awards Night held on Zoom on 14 February 2022 Pilgrims 100 members voted for the Jesuit Mission project that is providing clean and safe water supplies to rural communities in Timor-Leste.

Find out about Pilgrims 100 and how to get involved.

Click here to learn more about this vital project in Timor-Leste.

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Empowering camp-bound refugees

At just 13, Ingabire was forced to flee her family home in the Congo after soldiers killed her parents and burned down her home.

“That day we were playing outside. We saw soldiers coming. Then we heard a bullet. Soldiers came to our house and killed our parents. That’s when I ran with my sister,” she says. “I can’t say I had hope. I just moved.”

Ingabire and her sister fled to Malawi and joined over 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

Life inside the Dzaleka camp

Originally designed for 10,000 people, Dzaleka Refugee Camp is extremely overcrowded and provides only the most basic amenities.

The Malawi Government restricts movement outside the camp, making it almost impossible for people at Dzaleka to earn a living.

As a result, 90 percent of residents are unemployed, living well below the poverty line and forced to rely on food rations.

Ingabire talking with children and their parents

For most, their stay at Dzaleka will be very long (more than 20 years). Continuing conflicts in their home countries mean refugees cannot make a safe return. At the same time settlement in new countries has been severely restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital inclusion

In 2019, JRS Malawi developed the Digital Inclusion Program to help camp-bound refugees generate immediate income and establish long-term livelihoods.

Taught by skilled professionals, the Digital Inclusion Program empowers young people with digital skills including data entry, translation, transcription and graphic design.

Ingabire teaching a group about computing

Participants, like Ingabire, also learn communication and business skills so they can use platforms including Fiverr and Upwork to secure work in the global marketplace, unrestricted by their geographic location and refugee status.

Ingabire finds work straight away

Ingabire enrolled in the Digital Inclusion Program in 2020. The moment she graduated her life began to transform.

“That same day I finished the program - that same day I got a job,” she says. “When I started working we got all that we dreamt of. I’m able to support my sister and myself.”

Ingabire’s online work includes translation, interpretation and voiceover projects. She especially enjoys the opportunity to interpret for refugees living in other countries.

While supporting her sister, Ingabire also helps others in Dzaleka, providing additional food, purchasing medication and passing on skills she learned at the Digital Inclusion Program so they too can work towards independence.

“Now I feel confident, I’m empowered and I have hope for the future,” says Ingabire. “My dream is to be a woman who inspires and encourages others. That’s all.”

“Now I feel confident, I’m empowered and I have hope for the future. My dream is to be a woman who inspires and encourages others. That’s all.” – Ingabire

“This program is rewriting the narrative of refugees,” says Fr David Holdcroft SJ, JRS Education Specialist and Founder of the Digital Inclusion Program.

“Our graduates are now working and competing with the best in the world – they’re no longer refuges when they’re doing that.”

Graduates like Ingabire, who previously had no opportunity to earn a livelihood, are now earning enough to buy food and essentials, improve their housing conditions and invest in items like bicycles to transport goods.

Find out more

About the Digital Inclusion Program

All our programs

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Hope for ‘hill tribes’

Toon holding a microphone presenting to a crowd

In the underdeveloped Chiang Rai region of Northern Thailand, young people from the remote ‘hill tribes’ are amongst the most vulnerable.

Burdened by poverty and lacking the documentation they need for higher education, they’re at risk of being further excluded, exploited and marginalised.

But a single opportunity has the power to change everything.

For Toon, the opportunity to study at Xavier Learning Community in Northern Thailand has been life-changing. It’s given her control over her own future, helped uplift her family and is now inspiring more young people in her community.

Introducing Toon

As a young girl, Toon never dreamed she’d have a career or study beyond high school.

Toon’s family is from the Akha tribe, one of the many ethnic minority groups in the Chiang Rai region, known as ‘hill tribes’.

While many people in the region struggle with the burden of poverty, the hill tribes people are amongst the most marginalised. Many have no official identity papers, which excludes them from a wide range of work and educational opportunities.

Like many, Toon’s parents eked out a living as farmers. Living day to day, they were relying on their eldest daughter, Toon, to start work and help support the family as soon as possible.

“After finishing my final year in high school, I was certain that, from then on, I would just work for the rest of my life because I had to support my family,” Toon says.

But, thanks to donations from Jesuit Mission supporters, Toon was given the opportunity to attend Xavier Learning Community in Chiang Rai – an opportunity that’s changed the course of her life.

“I am grateful for being given the opportunity to learn at Xavier Learning Community... I am grateful for the entire community, where I am encouraged to be the best version of myself.” – Toon

Xavier Learning Community

Established in 2016, with the generous support of our Jesuit Mission family in Australia, Xavier Learning Community is a residential tertiary institute that offers a four-year degree course designed to empower students from ethnic minorities.

Both academic and practical, the course arms students with knowledge and life skills that help them take control of their futures. This leads to better employment opportunities that bring benefits not only the young people themselves, but to their families and communities.

“We are committed to providing students with opportunities to develop not only professional expertise like English, but also life skills through their daily life activities.”

Fr Augustinus Pitoyo SJ, Vice Director for Institutional Development at Xavier Learning Community.

1. Xavier Learning Community offers:

2. A Bachelor degree in English

3. Profession-based training, including eco-tourism and hospitality

4. Work experience in professional settings

5. Training workshops

6. Life skills training

7. Spiritual formation, with a focus on living a life for others.

For the duration of their studies, students live and work together on the Xavier Learning Community campus in a warm familial environment.

Opening up a new world

Part of Xavier Learning Community’s first graduating class, Toon’s time at the institute has opened up a new world for her.

"I have become more responsible, confident, and sensitive to the needs of others. I have come to value being a person for others and excellence because of the Xavier Learning Community.”

Just months after graduating, Toon and her family are already on a path to a better future.

“After graduating from Xavier Learning Community I got an opportunity to work for an NGO in Chiang Rai. My job enables me to support my family. I'm so happy,” she says.

The first person in her village to earn a tertiary degree, Toon’s success is having a ‘snowball effect’, inspiring other young people in her community to enrol at Xavier Learning Community.

Find out more

The program run by Xavier Learning Community

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Stay up to date with our work