Historic Vessel Vega and East Timor Maritime Police (UPM) work together to help rural communities

Protecting the pride and dignity of communities we assist has long been a worry of ours. This year we found a logical way around the donor syndrome. Where people feel they must beg outsiders to get meaningful assistance. For many years the Maritime Police in East Timor helped us to offload and provided a staging area for our deliveries. This year we joined together to make deliveries to remote communities from which some of those officers originated. It was a wonderful experience.

: We used the large UPM boat to off load for the mission. That saved us quite a few trips.

: Some of the small mountain roads made this look like a highway. Without this lorry we could never have supplied so many villages.

: Historic Vessel Vega and Unidade Polisia Maritima (UPM) deliver educational and medical supplies. During the rainy season this road is impossible. The villages are often cut off from the outside for months at a time.

: Historic vessel Vega and UPM set out for the high mountains.

: This officer came from this village and here he helps elderly test for free reading glasses.

: Here an officer from this girls community explains she does not have to give back her new Kits-4-Kids backpack. It really is hers. — at Quelicai-defadae Timor Leste

: UPM commander Leno Saldana helping community members test for reading glasses. — at Ossuluga-UatuWaa, Timor Leste

: She went to this school in Laclubar, Timor Leste and returned with the historic vessel Vega team to help out the school and the students

: Capt. Moraira testing for reading glasses in a long one by one process. This year all deliveries were made to East Timorese by East Timorese. — at Laclubar, Timor Leste - East Timor.