Timor Leste

In Timor Leste, ILO successfully completed the “Work for Peace” (Serbisu Ba Dame) project which focused on cash-for-work interventions targeting unemployed youth in rural areas. Priority was given to rural infrastructure rehabilitation, primarily rural roads and irrigation systems. The rehabilitation of national and district rural roads which have a high degree of deterioration represented a priority for the Timor-Leste Government. The rehabilitation of rural infrastructure created direct and indirect opportunities for income generation and employment, improved access to and within rural areas, and provided opportunities for private sector development, capacity building and community participation. The cash-for-work approach has been mainstreamed in Timor Leste and will become a component of a new Government/Australian funded programme targeting youth unemployment.