The U.S. government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Government of Timor-Leste have entered into a $420 million grant agreement (Compact), partnering to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the people of Timor-Leste.
The Timor-Leste Compact seeks to improve the health and skills of people in Timor-Leste by reducing the disease burden caused by contaminated water sources and enhancing teaching and learning at the secondary school level. The compact is comprised of two projects:
• Increasing Access to Clean Water. The Water and Sanitation (WSD) project will introduce the country’s first centralized sanitation and wastewater treatment system, improve related drainage, and supply clean drinking water for the capital city of Dili and four nearby municipalities. The WSD Project will ultimately supply disinfected water to 429,000 residents in Dili and 64,000 residents in the surrounding area.
• Improving Education Outcomes. The Teaching and Leading the Next generation of Timorese (TALENT) project aims to improve student learning outcomes through teacher and school leader education and training. The TALENT project will work with the government of Timor-Leste’s education ministries to establish a Center of Excellence and ensure all students graduating from secondary education have the skills necessary to pursue higher education and enter the workforce, benefitting nearly a million Timorese students over the next twenty years.
