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Powerful floods tear through the Indonesian Archipelago and Timor-Leste

These floods have struck during the worst COVID-19 outbreak and lock-down. Movement was already extremely restricted outside the capital of Dili, and now with roads destroyed and power intermittent, our coffee-producing teams in the remote regions have become the arms and legs of those that are trying to help.

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Launch of the Donorbox Appeal

The urgent appeal was shared across the specialty coffee industry with the goal of raising 20,000 USD for those in need. The platform allows us to better display the items most vitally needed; emergency food and sanitation packages, alongside the option to donate any amount that the donor can afford.

Visit the Donorbox page

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Areas of aid identified

The government relief package is not large enough to cater to the need’s of those affected in coffee producing areas. As you can see below, the areas we are funded to support are marked in dark green. Dili, the capital, is actively supported by various groups, and therefore our efforts are best distributed where less action is being taken.

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50 USD = One Emergency Food Pack

The families that have been displaced by the floods have lost basic access to food and water. An emergency food pack provides sustenance for one family.

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200 USD = A Complete Emergency Kit

With 200 USD, a family displaced by the floods will receive an emergency kit of tools. For those who have lost their homes, vital implements for food preparation and sanitation need to be supplied.

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10% funded in 24 hours

The support from roasteries and cafes around the world was immediate, with many businesses pledging a % of cups or bags sold for as long as they had a Timor-Leste coffee in stock. This kind of support is incredibly effective, as donations are added steadily over time. Thank you to everyone who is taking part.

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Update from Ameta, director of Raw Material Timor-Leste

Watch the video here

Communication with coffee producing areas is limited, as power lines have been affected. Here Ameta provides a call to action for anyone who is considering supporting the appeal.

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62% funded!

More and more of you have signed up to support the appeal, and we are now well over halfway to successful funding the rehabilitation of families displaced by the flooding. Thank you.

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Over 70% funded!

Many of you were in touch this weekend with updates from your own Timor-Leste flood relief campaigns, thank you for continuing to support the relief efforts; we are now at almost 70% funded.

Communication with remote areas is still minimal due to power outages. Ameta, the director of Raw Material Timor-Leste sent through this update over the weekend.

Pictured is the large community effort to rebuild an important road for the collection of coffee cherry from coffee producing villages. This route is a vital link to washing stations for the villages of Parami, Koileki, and Laclo.

It is vital that trucks can pass through these regions, but destroyed and blocked roads make this impossible in many areas. In these situations, off road motorbikes are a necessary stand in, which can traverse areas that trucks cannot.

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119% FUNDED! New roads laid!

We are tremendously happy to share today’s update thanks to your support. To be over 100% funded is incredible testament to the specialty coffee community, thank you!

Following the effects of this year’s floods, roads that were vital for the transportation of food, equipment, and goods were entirely unusable. Only the few off-road motorbikes available could traverse these roads, which slowed the movement of important resources to a dangerously limited pace. The road which connects Lauana to other road networks was one of these. Lauana is a remote coffee producing community, which depends on safe road networks to trade and sell.

Thanks to your support, the roads are being totally transformed, and rebuilt. Ameta who manages operates Raw Material Timor-Leste says, “everyone is really happy and appreciates it. Everyone can pass through on the roads, even in the rain now, not like before.”

Your donations are ensuring physical, tangible changes can be made for the livelihoods of the people affected. Thank you!

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