Abundant Water recently helped distribute 400 filters to communities in Timor-Leste that were badly affected by flooding from Cyclone Seroja.

Above: The recipient community in Tasi Tolu. There are still hundreds of households that are partially underwater and many families are still unable to return home.

The cyclone hit on the 4th of April, causing widespread flooding and devastation across the country. Dili, the capital, was heavily flooded and the country sustained heavy damage to roads, buildings, and infrastructure; the process of rebuilding is still ongoing. There was a total of 42 deaths across the country and thousands of people in Dili remain without shelter and access to basic necessities like water remains a challenge. This all took place amongst a rise in COVID-19 cases and a city-wide lockdown.

Above: Project Manager, Simão Luis da Costa (Simi) takes time to explain the filter to recipient households.

In collaboration with CARE International and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Abundant Water helped provide clean water to 400 households in Tasi Tolu (Three Lakes) in Dili – an area that was badly affected by Cyclone Seroja and the subsequent flooding. Many communities in this area were cut off from the rest of Dili for several weeks after the floods, with goods being transported by boat. Clean water has also been an ongoing issue in Tasi Tolu, with two children dying of suspected diarrhea and acute respiratory infection on the 27th and 28th of April.

Above: Recipient tests filter by pouring in his water source.

We spoke to Gregorio da Costa, a local, who received a filter as part of the distribution and was very grateful for our support.

“On the 4th of April when the floods came, I was moved to an evacuation centre in Tasi Tolu and spent several nights there until I moved back to my house. Originally it was very difficult to access water at our place and the water was dirty, but now we have functioning water from a tank and a water filter which gives us clean water directly. After we received the filter we felt better because the water is safe to consume. Now our family doesn’t boil water anymore and we are saving money on water. Because of the State of Emergency and lockdown (due to Covid-19) it can be difficult to get money these days, so we appreciate this product helping us save money and time during this time.”