Among others, there colourfully dressed young Timorese women graced the scene at the Thursday night meeting of the Rotary Club of Dili on 17th July. All three had previously experience as Rotary Youth Exchange Program (YEP) students as the guests of Rotary Clubs is Brazil. The three were Elisabeth Moniz, Sandra “Cindy” Mendonca and Gizela Mesquita. All were wearing their Rotary student blazers, traditionally festooned with badges and other memorabilia picked up by them during their travels abroad. “Cindy” was in Sao Paulo, Brazil during 2006, while Elisabeth and Gizela were there during 2007. One of the many comments they all makes is “Thank you Rotary, the experience opened my mind and changed my life” and the rotary Club of Dili is very proud of their involvement.
The setting for the occasion was the grounds of the Prime Minister’s family residence for the induction of mrs. Kirsty Sword Gusmao, as an Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Dili, with the specific function of being an Ambassador for Rotary in Timor-Leste.
Following the return from her 2006 YEP year in Sao Paulo, Brazil “Cindy” Mendonca has achieved a good position in the RDTL Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Elisabeth, who was in Brazil during the same year is now an interpreter with the UN Serious Crimes Investigation team. In 2007 we had only one, Gizela Mesquita, who found her second home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She has only just returned from Brazil and is looking to continue her studies as university. This year we have only Fernando Amaral with a Rotary family in Florida, USA and he has just finished his initial Rotary tour of the State. For next year we have two positions, and two young men have already been selected to participate in the YEP year in Brazil. The first YEP student from Timor-Leste was Liga da Costa Santos, who went to Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2005. Liga is now working with the IOM.
In the Rotary Youth Exchange Program students are selected from a number of nominees between the ages of 16-18 years, who have completed their Grade 12 of secondary schooling. Those selected initially participate in a week orientation program in Australia, after which at the beginning of the following year they proceed as “Outbounds” to various countries around the world. Over the last 4 years The Rotary Club of Dili has been fortunate enough, through the generosity of our Rotary District together with Rotary District in Brazil, principally around Sao Paulo, to be able to participate in this program and has selected 1 or 2 students each year since 2005. The student live with one or two host Rotary families for the year and attend the final year of secondary school again, but this time in Brazil and using the Portuguese language. After the year’s experience they return to Timor-Leste and become familiarly known as “Rebounds”!
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