Lighting the Flame to Rise from Adversity
The ex-East Timorese refugees hope for a better existence and desire to participate in building the country lifts their fighting spirit and rise above their deprivation.
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Traders display their wares on Tuesday (18/2/2020) at Motaain Market, at the Indonesia-Timor Leste Border Crossing Post in Belu regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The market, which has traders from the two countries, is stimulating the economy of the border region.
On Monday morning (17/2/2020) three men were busy loading 12 bags of household needs onto a truck at the house of 64-year-old Luis Soares in Atambua, Belu regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The goods, which weighed 1 ton and consisted of house utensils and instant foods, were being prepared for shipping to Maliana and Dili in Timor Leste.
The three men are the sons of Luis, an ex-East Timorese refugee now in the export business. Luis was negotiating with local entrepreneurs at the time in Dili, Timor Leste.