Raj and Lois in Timor

Almost five years ago, Raj and I masked up, packed our surge protectors, and took a World Food Programme special flight into Dili, Timor-Leste. We started as volunteers in Maluk Timor, a local nonprofit established to strengthen Timor-Leste's primary care system by partnering with the Ministry of Health. We had the luxury of a long overlap with MT's founders Drs Jeremy and Bethany Beckett, and 8 months later we stepped up to the task of leading this organisation --I, at least, had not a clue as to the drama and delight that the next few years would hold. Now as I shift gears into a season of quieter work and language study, the memories of these years tumble over each other like pebbles down a waterfall, a jumble of laughter and tears and pride and regret. During my time, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most committed health professionals I’ve ever met, both in Timor-Leste's Ministry of Health and within my own organisation. Together with the Ministr...

 It rained without stopping since yesterday night. We woke to news of flooding on WhatsApp. Then videos and photos of the sort of things I'd hoped I would never witness again after Salone-- roads collapsing, houses torn away by currents, people wading chest-deep in (or outside) their ruined homes. Almost everyone I know has had flood damage to their house . Some of our staff lost their homes. The power grid is down, either because of structural problems or to avoid electrocution through the flood water. We are fine. We've got fuel for another few hours of the generator, and the flood did not damage our house. We were halfway through a move to the neighbouring house, but we have suspended that plan for now. Fortunately the main office is minimally affected, though the HIV clinic was completely inundated and it will be an extremely mucky clean up job tomorrow. We still have not been able to make contact with some of our staff. I'm not sure how we will do that (the first S of...