Life in rural Timor-Leste is shaped by fragile infrastructure, the legacy of conflict, and a climate that is becoming harder to predict. These pressures fall heaviest on the poorest families: three quarters of rural households live below the poverty line, food insecurity is widespread, and almost half of children under five experience stunting.
For people with disabilities, the barriers are even higher. Disability rates in rural areas are twice as high as in towns, and mobility impairments often make it difficult to reach farmland, markets or essential services. Yet many continue to farm and contribute to their communities. To help change this, the Australian Government funded TOMAK programme, delivered by ASI with the local organisation Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO), is working to make rural development genuinely inclusive.
Opening Access to Finance, Skills and Services
Since 2023, TOMAK and RHTO have supported people with disabilities to join local Savings and Loan Groups and access entry level financial services, often for the first time. They have also taken part in training on climate smart and good agricultural practices, nutrition, household decision making and basic agribusiness skills. RHTO has strengthened community and government understanding of disability inclusion and helped people access essential public services, assistive devices from the National Rehabilitation Centre and available subsidies. These changes give people greater control over their livelihoods and reduce the isolation many experience. Leaders like Maun Felis da Silva in Ossu show what inclusive community structures can achieve. His Savings and Loan Group welcomes members with disabilities and demonstrates how shared leadership can create space for everyone.
Climate Smart Technology That Works for All
In 2024, TOMAK and RHTO introduced a hydroponics pilot to see whether the technology could make farming more accessible for people with mobility challenges. The idea was simple: could growing food at home, without long walks or heavy work, offer a useful alternative?
Early results are encouraging. Hydroponics systems can be set up in a household compound, require little physical effort, and produce reliable harvests even in dry months. For farmers who struggle to reach their fields, it opens a new pathway into agriculture. The pilot has already drawn interest from government institutions and development partners who see hydroponics as a promising model for inclusive, climate resilient agriculture in Timor-Leste.
With my disability, I sometimes feel tired going to the farm, but when I do hydroponics at home, I feel very good. I now have an activity that reduces my worries and helps me feed my family.
Tia Jacinta, Bobonaro
What This Means for Households
Findings from TOMAK’s 2025 survey show meaningful improvements for households with disabilities, from stronger food security to renewed economic participation. TOMAK has contributed to improved dietary diversity for women with disabilities, alongside stronger household outcomes marked by increased assets and more equitable decision-making. These gains are reinforced by greater gender equity, with households including women with disabilities recording higher Gender Equity Index scores.
One example is Tiu Rogerio, who received a wheelchair through RHTO’s support, regained his mobility, expanded his hydroponics production and returned to market selling. The combination of accessible technology and the right support helped reopen opportunities that had once felt out of reach.
Farmers like Maun Domingos in Laga and Mana Guilhermina in Viqueque show the same pattern: when services, tools and technology are accessible, people can build stronger and more secure futures for their families.
