Cultural & Social Factors in Suco Holarua Timor Leste Study

This report presents a scoping study of the cultural and social factors in Suco Holarua, Timor Leste, an administrative post facing challenges in development. The study highlights the demographic balance, language diversity (Tetum, influenced by Portuguese, and other local languages), and cultural influences (Malay, Portuguese, and Roman Catholic). It addresses issues such as gender inequality, weak law and order, and low living standards. Environmental hazards like strong winds, landslides, and floods have damaged infrastructure, hindering development. The report also discusses the role of organizations like Engineers Without Borders in addressing these challenges through humanitarian engineering activities. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for sustainable development and improved living standards in underdeveloped regions.

SCOPING STUDY REPORT ABOUT THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL
FACTORS IN SUCO HOLARUA TIMOR LESTE

Table of content
Introduction
Research Findings
Professional Connections
Conclusion
References
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Introduction
Suco Holarua Timor Leste is part of Asia Continent located near to Australia. This is known to
be an administrative post of further divided 442 sucos or villages. Although the place thrives
through its cultural and social values, it is not developed with any modern aspects of science and
economics. The place has been majorly isolated from external conventions; hence people here
are deprived of modern development and science. The political scenario in the administrative
post is not also very stable. However, the state holds election of the positioning of administrators
within the state (Engineers Without Borders Challenge, 2019). The state is known to be rich in
marine culture. There are various kinds of fishes and marine species which are found in this
state. Also, there are coral species which are found on the shore of this state. In this assessment,
there will be discussion over the Cultural and social factors within the Suco Holarua Timor Leste
and how it affects the people and society in the state.
Research Findings
Through the research findings, it can be observed that in Suco Holarua Timor Leste the
population of the male in the state is 2858 and the population of the female is 2719. This shows
the people from both the gender are quite balanced whereas the male is more in population.
There 933 private household within the state which shows the social aspect and image of the
state. The labour force survey identifies that in private sector there is 76% men and 24% female.
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Figure 1: Labour Force Survey
(Source: Timor-leste.unfpa.org, 2019)
The national language of Timor Leste is tetum, which a language influenced by portugese.
However, there are other languages spoken around the country like ekais, Bunak, Dawan,
Fataluku, Galoli, Habun, Idalaka, Kawaimina, Kemak, Lovaia, Makalero, Makasai, Mambai,
Tokodede and Wetarese (Easttimorgovernment.com, 2019).
There are numerous cultural influence in Timor Leste and those includes the Malay, Portuguese
and Roman Catholic. It is believed as per legend that a giant crocodile was transformed into the
island of Timor. Influence of Catholic is higher and people mainly are Roman Catholic.
Timorese music is quite a hit as it has resemblance to the song of independence. A strange
culture of body hair removal (beside the head) among the adult women from the age of 15 is
common in East Timor (Easttimorgovernment.com, 2019).
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Figure 2: key development indicators
(Source: Adb.org, 2019)
The net primary school enrolment in the suco is less than 100%, which acts as the mirror image
of the declining living standards (Adb.org, 2019). The infrastructure within the country is lower,
because of the low development rate and high environmental hazards within the state (Adb.org,
2019). The risk of environmental disaster has led to slow development rates within its region. As
shown below in the table:
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Table 1: Environmental hazards
(Source: Org, 2019)
The above chart shows that there has been damage to the infrastructure through environmental
hazards in the past as well which had a great impact on the economic and social development of
life within this region. Strong wind, landslide and flood have caused major damage to the
household in the Manifa district in the suco. Such environmental disaster has affected the road
network, and water supply framework that was built for this suco for their own development. As
a result of these environmental issues and guards, the development of the region has been
disastrous with very low infrastructure for health facilities, education, water supply and
transport. There is a social issue within the region as well as issues like gender inequality, weak
law and order situation and low standard of living. These social issues have created low
development rates and focus on basic infrastructure needed for the people in this region such as
better sanitation, water supply and electricity supply in the household for a better living. It is to
be mentioned that gender inequality is there within the society which means males are mainly
dominating within the society which decreases the contribution of women in social development
this inequality has also created problems within proper development of household within the
region (Clarke, 2018).
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Road networks were affected by the problem of environmental hazard, which has slowed down
the transport system within the area. This has left the region merely isolated from the export and
import of goods, creating low scale option of goods which is available for the people. It is
important to address that all of such network issue has also stopped major development from
Japan in this region as there low availability of road network the process of development in the
areas has slowed down.
Table 2: Household asset holdings
(Source: Org, 2019)
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Although in the image above it can be said that there has been slow development of the living
standard in the region but the overall infrastructure in the region for the development of the
living standard is still not as developed as it should be. The cattle and livestock in the region
have gone down which means that there are not enough resources for the people to raise good
livestock which should be there within the economic development of the land (). Although the
telecommunication services have gone up whereas usage of other electronics have also increased
which shows that there is modernization been done in this region through the introduction of
technology in living standards. The motorcycle is a more used vehicle for transport in this region
and hand tractors have also increased which means farming activities will be the key to the
region's economic development for the future space of time. The housing characteristics have
also developed in recent time which shows that there has been strived by the population of the
country for a better living standard (Kinsner, 2014). It can be said that the people have through
bettering the living standard there will be developed in the economic status of the region which
will benefit the financial status of the company.
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Table 3: Overall aspect graphical demonstration in Timor Leste
(Source: Org, 2019)
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The image above shows the demographic development as well as the economic development
scales which identified in the region of Suco Holarua Timor Leste as it is seen that the
percentage of the average population has grown which means the population is growing within
the firm the density of population is also growing. On the other hand, the female-headed
households are decreasing within this region which means male is taking over the household
headings (Adb.org, 2019). The literacy rates in this region are gradually increasing which is a
positive sign for the country although the growth is slight because of case educational institution
which is present within this region. The distance to district and sub-district centres have also
decreased which again increase the connectivity of the population to major places of the region.
Although it can be seen that the economic activity within the region has gone down as the
employment rate has gone down. This is not a positive sign for the submissive growth in the
region unemployment is increase which will cause economic issues within the region. The
Agricultural activities within the region have also gone down which is not a positive sign for the
financial growth of the region agriculture rice, maize and coffee have dropped down which
shows that standard of living will soon get affect if the decrease presides on a long term (Org,
2019).
Professional Connections
Engineers without Borders in Australia are a member of a non-profit organization who is looking
forward to bring significant changes through engineering activities for the benefits of the society
which ranges from building road networks and water supply infrastructure. The organizations
follow the agenda of making sure that there is a better living standard within the region which
can be done through better development of infrastructure. This will provide better sanitation,
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clean water, and energy and waste management system. There are other groups as well working
for the same cause. There are programs run by various organization all over the world in
underdeveloped countries to make sure they receive the basic needs which they use in living
healthy lives (Berg, Buchanan and Lee, 2016). The organization also tends to perform
humanitarian activities to make sure that the revolution is successful in cross-cultural
developments, eradication of injustice and inequality and to inspire sustainable development
within the area. These plans and programs are operated by the non-profit organization and
helping underdeveloped regions to get a look on the modern world and to give the opportunity to
live better lives and to make sure the region is able to achieve sustainable growth within the
region.
Conclusion
Concluding in the light of the above context, it can be said that there are various regions within
the world which are deprived of basic needs and quality life. It is important that such states are
identified and possible development is done, so that, the basic living standard is achieved.
Through humanitarian engineering activities, proper infrastructure for a better living can be built
which will enhance sustainable development in underdeveloped areas.
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References
Adb.org, (2019) ADB Available from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-
document/84126/timor-leste-country-gender-assessment.pdf Accessed on 25 March 2019
Berg, D.R., Buchanan, E.A. and Lee, T., 2016. Methodology for exploring, documenting, and
improving humanitarian service learning in the university.
Clarke, W.S., 2018. Learning from Somalia: the lessons of armed humanitarian intervention.
Routledge. London
Easttimorgovernment.com, (2019) EASTTIMOR Available from
http://www.easttimorgovernment.com/languages.htm Accessed on 26 March 2019
Easttimorgovernment.com, (2019) EASTTIMOR Available from
http://www.easttimorgovernment.com/culture.htm Accessed on 25 March 2019
Engineers Without Borders Challenge, L. (2019). LibGuides: Engineers Without Borders
Challenge 2019: Home. [online] Ecu.au.libguides.com. Available at:
https://ecu.au.libguides.com/ewb-challenge [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].
Kinsner, W., 2014. Humanitarian engineering education: Examples. Proceedings of the
Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA).
Leydens, J.A. and Lucena, J.C., 2014. Social justice: A missing, unelaborated dimension in
humanitarian engineering and learning through service. International Journal for Service
Learning in Engineering, Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship, 9(2), pp.1-
28.
Org, A. 2019. [online] Adb.org. Available at:
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/30343/least-developed-sucos-timor-leste.pdf
[Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].
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