Economic Growth and Trade

USAID’S Avansa Agrikultura Project 

USAID’s Avansa Agrikultura Project (Avansa Agrikultura) aims to accelerate sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the agriculture sector.  At the end of the project, USAID anticipates that over 33,000 people in 250 communities will be earning higher incomes, realizing improved nutrition, and managing their economic assets more effectively.  Avansa Agrikultura is implemented via a phased approach, building on development gains made through previous projects and piloting new interventions.  The project will begin activities in a small number of communities the first year and then scale up successful interventions to reach the targeted number of communities over five years.  Avansa Agrikultura also uses a learning approach; through ongoing monitoring to assess efficiency and effectiveness, the project makes adjustments as necessary.

Increasing Community Resilience in Oe-Cusse

USAID and World Neighbors are working with the Government of Oecusse-Ambeno to increase access to safe and clean water and improve sanitation and hygiene practices in Oecusse-Ambeno through the Increasing Community Resilience to Oecusse Project.  The project’s key outputs will include: protecting and conserving community water sources through micro-watershed technology; improving sanitation and hygiene practices in villages and schools through Community Led Total Sanitation and other appropriate interventions; and building the capacity of local nongovernmental and community-based organizations to sustain the gains made.  Establishing savings and credit groups will increase community income and the ability to provide funds to maintain water sources.

Democratic and Governance

USAID’S The Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening Project

The Strengthening Inclusive Elections and Political Processes in Timor-Leste activity was awarded by the Mission to CEPPS. This three-year project seeks to help Timor-Leste strengthen and consolidate its democratic institutions by establishing more inclusive, responsive, and accountable government processes. CEPPS will build on the progress already made in Timor-Leste’s democratic development and continue to elevate marginalized voices so the Timorese government effectively represents its diverse communities. The project’s work is focus on supporting STAE and CNE conduct of voter and civic education, and improve their outreach and communication, to complement support to STAE and CNE, civic and voter education support will also be channeled through local CSOs.

USAID’S Fostering Freedom of Information for Inclusive Governance Project

USAID’s Fostering Freedom of Information for Inclusive Governance Project’s aim to improve governance by engaging public opinion in demanding greater transparency and accountability in government through a meaningful right of access to information. Access to information is a multi-dimensional tool that is expected to reinforce the foundations for social stability, institutional development within the public sector and effectiveness in the provision of public services as it enables citizens to engage constructively in political life and government to become more accountable and transparent. 

Strengthening Decentralization in the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice

The project works with PDHJ to build the capacity of PDHJ staff at four regional offices, increase community awareness of PDHJ’s role and mandate by conducting nationwide outreach events and producing and distributing PDHJ promotional materials, increase PDHJ’s own awareness of governance and human rights issues affecting communities in rural areas by developing and piloting investigation and monitoring systems at regional offices, and improve PDHJ’s human and organizational capacity by training PDHJ’s staff and strengthening its coordination and management system.  

Ba Distrito (To The Districts)

USAID's decentralization support grant, Ba Distrito (meaning “To the Districts”), improves local government’s ability to address community needs and increase its capacity to facilitate the delivery of services more effectively, efficiently, and sustainably.  Ba Distrito works at local levels of GOTL—district, sub-district, and suco (village) councils—to increase institutional and human capacity to deliver basic services that are more effective and responsive to citizens' needs and expectations.  

Civil Society Monitoring of Security-Sector Development

USAID's Civil Society Monitoring of Security-Sector Development (CSM-SSD) aims to improve the Timor-Leste National Police’s (PNTL) responsiveness to mitigating conflicts and ensuring overall public safety and security. Funded through the Department of Defense’s Security and Stabilization Assistance Program, the grant contributes to the development of the rule of law and the security sector by monitoring and mapping threats to public safety, improving police-community relations, and strengthening PNTL’s ability to respond to the needs and concerns of the Timorese citizens.  

Education

USAID'S Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program

USAID invests in human capacity in Timor-Leste through its Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program, which provides opportunities for Timorese students to complete skills-focused associate’s degree programs in the U.S. in fields of study such as accounting, agriculture, business, food technology, and management.

Global Health

USAID’s Reinforce Basic Health Services Project

USAID’s Reinforce Basic Health Services (USAID nia Projetu Reforsa Servisu Saúde Báziku) Project supports the USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy’s objective of strengthening institutional and human capacity to improve the lives of Timor-Leste’s citizens, is contributing specifically to Increased Capacity to Deliver Responsive Services at National and Sub-National Levels. The project will provide technical assistance to build capacity and strengthen the health system's ability to improve and sustain service quality, use data for management, and increase access to services. Essentially, USAID’s Reinforce Basic Health Services Project will meet the needs of MOH staff where they are, in training sessions, district offices, health centers and health posts and during supportive supervision and follow-up sessions. The project will promote coordination between all partners in order to achieve measurable, meaningful results for the health of mothers, children, and families of Timor-Leste.

Humanitarian Assistance

Disaster Risk Reduction (IOM-OFDA)

USAID's Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities in Timor-Leste are focused in five of the country's most disaster-prone districts. 

Effective Seed Storage (OFDA)

USAID's Effective Seed Storage designs and develops sustainable and scalable seed storage models for Timor-Leste. Working with local manufacturers, USAID’s Effective Seed Storage prepares the market for its new metal-based seed storage system.

Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security and Reducing Disaster Risk Through the Promotion of Conservation Agriculture (OFDA) 

USAID’s Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security and Reducing Disaster Risk through the Promotion of Conservation Agriculture grant enhances household food and nutrition security and improves rural livelihoods through a reduction in crop losses caused by the increasing frequency and severity of droughts, associated with climate change and variability, and leads to a more sustainable increase in agricultural productivity of the Timorese farmers.