Oecussi is an enclave isolated from the rest of Timor-Leste by Indonesia and the sea. There are three ways to get there: overland, the ferry or fly. I chose option three. It’s a 50 minute flight from Dili – compared to an eight to ten hour ferry ride or a six or seven hour car trip.
Oecussi is an enclave isolated from the rest of Timor-Leste by Indonesia and the sea. There are three ways to get there: overland, the ferry or fly. I chose option three. It’s a 50 minute flight from Dili – compared to an eight to ten hour ferry ride or a six or seven hour car trip.
Oecussi town reminds me of a mini-versionof Dili – in terms of the lay of the land – except the mountains are much closer to shore. There’s very little development and the people are extremely friendly.
Internet is almost non-existent, but on Friday, that changed and now Oecussi is much closer to the rest of Timor-Leste – in terms of access to information.
ICFJ’s mission in Oecussi is to set up a Media House – a place where local journalists will have access to computers, printers and high speed internet. Essentially, it’ll be a place where they can work and file their stories back to Dili.
Within 24 hours after his arrival, ICFJ IT specialist Oscar Selly and his team, had set up a satellite dish and had the internet working. The next goal was to do some rehabilitation to the building that will house the Media House – some fresh paint, new electrical wiring, toilets and smooth out the pock-marked cement flooring.
The renovations are occurring as I write this – and things are progressing nicely.
The media house will have an “official” opening in early September , but journalists are already using it – and there have already been trainings at the place. Consultant Lorraine McBride has been conducting English lessons for the past four days and two reporters from the
Timor Post have used the internet connection to send their stories back to Dili, the capital.
Just behind the Media House is the community radio station – and they will be working closely – in terms of organizing trainings and publicizing events at the center. For one thing, the radio station will be able to get access to information from Dili more quickly via the internet and get that news and information on the air. The station reaches about 80% of the population in the district of Oecussi.
Oecusse is a beautiful place – pristine beaches and water – and high mountains that serve as a backdrop to Oecussi-town.
On the last night of my 48 hour visit to Oecusse, I had an opportunity to climb aboard a friends’ fishing boat and experience sunset on the water. As the bright orange ball started to fall below the horizon – the mountains behind Oecussi-town lit up – in soft colorful tones – while out on the horizon – the sky turned from orange to red and then purple.
I looked for the “green flash” on the horizon, but my friend said it was too late in the season. “We see the ‘green flash’ only in July,” he said. Still, I could have sworn I saw it – in that millisecond the sun dropped out of sight.