Sustainable Villages Oecusse
Judy Charnaud
Judy lives most of the year in Oecusse, Timor Leste where she assists villager in areas such as health, education water quality and their history
The Aims of the project are: Strengthen capacity of villagers to tackle environmental challenges impacting health & livelihood; build a sustainable community; reduce incidence of infant mortality & disease by providing clean water, sanitation, nutritious food & environmental protection.
By:-
Village Environmental Action Planning - assists villagers to examine their resources, history, environment & identify key issues impacting livelihoods. This knowledge is used to develop vision & action plans. Water quality testing shows powerfully the link between contaminated water and poor health.
Project methodology is based on participatory learning & action; involving people in their own forward change & development is the best way to ensure success & sustainability of change.
After the VEAP we revisit regularly to support action plans:
Clean water: providing biosand water filtration units which are easy to use & maintain, cheap, low tech & successful.
Well rehabilitation: concrete surround, roofing, lining the well & fencing off livestock.
Reforestation: past logging practices resulted in forest decimation and erosion, turbidity and lowering water table. Native trees are supplied.
Vegetable Gardens, pumps & pipes makes planting vegetable gardens easier & ensures fresh food.
Dry composting toilets & fish farming recently added to the program, still in trial stages, results are promising.
Sewing face masks for covid19 has begun.