by Rogelio Villalobos

04 December 1999

West Timor, Indonesia: Despite the recent disturbances following a popular consultation ballot in neighbouring East Timor, UNV development efforts continue on the western section of the island. International UNV Rogelio Villalobos from the Philippines and national UNV Siti Haryani Kadir trekked four days to Mollo Nanan, a remote community of Binaus Village in West Timor. On their return, Rogelio Villalobos sent his report on their exhausting and enlightening experience while conducting a community self-help survey as part of a UNDP-funded development project.

"The journey was full of adventure. We passed through steep, small trails when they existed, crossed streams, springs and rivers, climbed hills and mountains, walking on grassy, sticky mud, stony roads and grassland. Five hours after leaving the village office, we reached the first Rumah Tangga (RT) - a neighbourhood group of up to 50 households. We went to the house of the RT chief, who welcomed us and summoned all the villagers to meet the visiting UNVs. We conducted our survey, asking the villagers about their households, sources of income and their problems. We lit a small kerosene lamp and finished the interviews at about 9 p.m.

The next day we walked in the river for nearly an hour as there was no other way to reach the next community. Here we began to see the major problem in the village: erosion. The extent of erosion is already bad and the annual floods during the rainy season make it worse. The villagers' small plots of lands near the river bank are decreasing daily. The people told us how erosion virtually destroyed all their cornfields, leaving them nothing.

After three hours of interviewing at the next community, we climbed steep trails an crossed a damaged bridge on our way to the next neighbourhood. The villagers told us that every year they fix the bridge after floods and erosion destroy it. It is a cycle of build-destroy-rebuild - a fact of life in the village. In Mollo Nanan, we visited a local leader to pay respect for the passing of a family member. As a token of apology for not being able to take part in the survey, he handed each of us a tin can with coins inside. Our guide told us we must return the favour by performing the same gesture. My colleague expressed our condolences to the family, and we handed the can to the chief. It was a beautiful experience of a local custom - a clear manifestation of the villagers' values and traditional beliefs.

Our trek back home was more difficult. After six hours of climbing hills and crossing springs and streams under a blazing sun, we reached the national road and found transport back to town.

I have met various people from different nationalities, but my experience with the Mollo Nanan villagers has proved to be more enlightening, more penetrating. In their tremendous hospitality, in their smile, and in their simple living, I realized that there is more in life to be thankful for. It has taught me to better appreciate the diversity of human cultures.

The problems facing Mollo Nanan's villagers - erosion, poor roads, disease, fertility, low harvests, drinking water, illiteracy - still remain to be solved. We did not make any promises. Together we will try to identify problems and local resources to help address them. We will work to form groups and form action plans. And if necessary, we will try to reach outside for help. Clearly this is the main idea of the participatory approach in community development - empowering the people. I may work as a facilitator and bridge to the outside world, but the villagers are the main characters and I play a supporting role. I think this is what becoming a UNV is all about.