Working at St Michaels School, we kept running into a quiet unassuming Timorese guy named Juliao Dos Reis (Jules) who always seemed to be there when we were there. He spoke perfect English and you could tell that Mr. Crisna, the principal, treated him like a second in command. More and more we became dependent on Jules for translation, advice, support, and help walking through the cultural and political complexities of working at the school and understanding the culture of Timor-Leste. Little did we know that this 29 year old unassuming guy had lived through 10 lifetimes and survived and thrived against unbelievable odds. He was a young boy when his father left home to become a freedom fighter to help rid the country of the Indonesian Army that was systematically killing the locals by the thousands.
Because his Father was a freedom fighter, Jules' family was threatened and he was almost killed twice. At the age of 10 Jules was forced to leave his Mother, Brother, and Sister because he "looked too much like his Father." Without a penny, he took a bus far from home. A family, seeing a lonely little boy at the bus station, took him in. Today Jules has both an undergraduate and Master's Degree in Health Management from prestigious Australian Universities and a high Level job with Catholic Relief Services in Dili.He spends every free minute working at St Michaels and helping his family and relatives.
After 11 years apart, he was reuntied with his Father, the freedon fighter, who told him, "It was my duty to take the girl back from the enemy, now it's your turn to dress her up." Jules' Dad gave him this charge to take the newly freed Timor-Leste to the next level. I can't imagine placing the country in more capable hands.
If you want to hear a profoundly moving radio interview with Jules by the Australian Broadcasting Company, cut and paste this address
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/04/16/2219929.htm?site=conversations
Both Doug and I feel privileged to call Jules a friend. Doug took this photo of Jules and his Mom.
