Angelo Raveane - Talk on Timor Leste & RYLA

Take outs from This Weeks Meeting

Angelo Spoke to us today about the extraordinary partnership between the Rotary Club of Crows Nest and the people of Timor-Leste over more than a decade to establish RYLA, RYPEN and most recently a home-grown Timorese Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Lafaek Dili.

Forming a new Rotary Club provides a pathway from Rotaract to Rotary when Timorese members reach the age of 30. Every year in Timor hundreds of young people apply to attend RYLA. Within this highly competitive environment 85 students ultimately gain a place in this intensive youth leadership program.

Attending RYLA is viewed as a tremendous opportunity to build networks and unlock potential for young Timorese to become community leaders, establish connections for training, business and

employment.

Timor is one of the worlds poorest countries and due to war and subsequent poverty, many young people have grown up with significant trauma and the loss of one or both parents. Angelo explained the history, provided context and gave us an intimate view of the lived experience of so many young Timorese.

Angelo shared with us the determined resilience of these young people and their consistent efforts to change their futures and lift their country out of poverty. RYLA has become a springboard for many young Timorese people to reach out for new horizons.



Take a look at the video and slide show showcasing the wonderful work of RYLA in Timor Leste.