Physical:
• East Timor is made up of 13 districts,and the islands of Atauro (inhabited) and Jaco (not inhabited)
• East Timor is the eastern half of the island Timor, sharing a land border with Indonesia in the west
• East Timor is mountainous so rural areas are hard to get to in the rainy season
• Capital city is Dili, with 180,000 inhabitants
 
Socio-Economic:
• East Timor is the  poorest nation in Asia
• 90% are subsistence farmers
• Approximately 50% live below the poverty level and earn less than $.50cent per day
• During the dry season several coastal regions have experienced repeated starvation periods during the past four years
 
Political:
• 20 May 2002 - East Timor became the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
• All government departments are still in  early stages of development
• First sub-village and village level elections were held in 2005
• May 2005 -United Nations cut nearly all presence in East Timor, now only  a small consultative office
• April, 2006: Political unrest that frightened the people from Dili and evacuated to nearby villages

Cultural:
• East Timor is a largely indigenous society. Most Timorese still rely on traditional law, rituals and beliefs
• 36 different languages are spoken in East Timor which shows for its rich diversity in local cultures
• National languages: Tetun and Portuguese
• Other languages in use: Indonesian and English

Spiritual:
• Timorese people have a deep sense of faith and spirituality
• 90% of population are Roman Catholic
• 10% Protestant, Muslim & other
• Many Catholic orders are present in East Timor
• Indigenous spirituality & animist beliefs still have a strong presence

Our objectives are to reach the areas that desperately need more support than what is currently being made available to them. 

What does the future hold?