From despair to hope

Dili, 8 July 2025 - While floods are among the most frequent natural hazards in Timor-Leste, the April 2021 event was among most devasting witnessed by Timorese in decades. Living near a riverbank in Tasitolu for most of her life, Domingas, a mother of four, says she had witnessed heavy floods before, but this time the sheer volume of the water overwhelmed her. 

“It all happened very quickly.  Before we knew it, our homes were under water, and many of our household items were swept away”, says Domingas, who was seven months pregnant and expecting the birth of her fourth child when this disaster occurred. 

Together with the other residents, they watched hopelessly as the torrential rains consumed their already fragile, makeshift homes.  

Domingas’ story mirrors the dire situation faced by over 30,367 households, who were affected by the floods.    

For Domingas, the biggest concern was for her children, two of whom were under malnutrition treatment during that time. 

She explains that access to good nutritious food has always been a problem for her family. Now the rain had washed away the little food reserves they had in their homes, contaminated all the water sources and the roads to the markets were impassable, making it difficult for her to provide a meal for her children. Her greatest fear was that the boys, who were making steady recovery progress, would relapse. 

“I had no food to give the children, they were hungry, and I was afraid that this would affect their recovery.  We moved to a government shelter, where we got some food, and treatment for my sons. We left the shelter only when the water had gone down,” says Domingas, as she further describes the grief of going back to her house, which had been badly damaged by the floods. 

But amid the despair, there was relief. The Government, with support from humanitarian partners, supported the safe return of families to communities, including ensuring that essential services and support were available for children in affected communities.

With funding from the People’s Republic of China, UNICEF has provided complementary support to Domingas and other vulnerable families, through ensuring that there is ongoing community based essential services for the preventative of malnutrition. 

Through the Mother Support Groups, interventions to ensure early identification of malnutrition cases in under-five children, as well as referral, treatment and follow-up of cases, have been a constant in these communities across four Municipalities – Ainaro, Baucau, Ermera, and Dili since 2024. 

For Domingas, Mother Support Group members helped to ensure the continued monitoring of malnutrition for her sons, and baby Soviana, who is now four years old.

“I am happy with the support they have been giving me.  My sons have recovered, and baby Soviana, has been healthy since the day she was born, says Domingas, as she joyfully appreciates the support from the Mother Support Group. 

To support the role of the Mother Support Groups members from have been trained in malnutrition screening and promotion of optimal feeding practices. They have also been trained in how to help mothers in identifying locally available, cheap foods, which will keep their children healthy.  More than 2,282 children under-five have now been reached with nutrition screening, 1,186 pregnant and lactating women have been screened, and 5,820 caregivers have received nutrition services.  

In addition, essential supplies for malnutrition screening, such as the Middle Upper Arm Circumference measuring tape and informative flip charts with key messages, were sourced for the use by the Mother Support Groups members during their community outreach sessions. 

“Our role is to guide families with simple, local solutions—like balanced meals, breastfeeding, and hygiene—so every child has the chance to thrive. Besides visiting homes, we also hold regular cooking demonstration sessions, where caregivers are given lessons on how to prepare balanced meals using local ingredients,” says Maria Madalena, a Mother Support Group Co-ordinator. 

Today Domingas is happy that despite the daunting experience of 2021, her whole family is happy, healthy and looking forward to a brighter future.  ///Ends