Since August 2023, the Sisters Hospitallers have been carrying out their mission in East Timor, a region marked by social, economic, and health challenges. Through the San Benito Menni Mental Health Center in Lahomea, Maliana, they provide comprehensive care to people living with mental health disorders, many of whom are in situations of great vulnerability. This article brings us closer to their daily work, which goes beyond the walls of the center, traveling difficult roads to offer listening, care, dignity, and hope.
We invite you to read the testimony of Sister Isabel Martins:
“Hello to all the Sisters and everyone reading this article,
We were asked to share a bit about our mission in East Timor.
I believe most of the Sisters know that we carry out our mission at the San Benito Menni Mental Health Center in Lahomea, Maliana, since August 2, 2023 (the official inauguration date of the center).
Although we had already begun visiting some patients on the outskirts of the city and delivering communion to several elderly and sick individuals, we did so without a very structured plan.
If we want to talk about what we do, it’s almost impossible not to mention our work both inside and outside the center, because we go out a lot as part of our mission. “We’re always on the move — by car!” And always in dirty cars. For some, it’s a sign we rarely wash them; for others, it means we go where people are.
Yes, we go far — to where the users are. Many of them live very far away, and the roads are hardly suitable, especially when it rains. We cross swamps and rivers, drive on rocky paths and half-paved roads, sometimes traveling on the main roads with just a few stretches of asphalt. This is the price of selfless service — of wanting to be instruments of God’s love for those who need it.
To date, we have cared for and accompanied 171 people — a significant number for just one municipality.
Most are young people between the ages of 21 and 35. The older people we assist are usually already chronic patients. The most common diagnoses are schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders.
We have already managed to “free” several patients from their chains — one of them had been chained for 10 years, another for 4 years, and others for a few months. The first two cases were heartbreaking. They allowed us to witness the gospel of mercy “live” until we were able to convince the families that recovery was possible. Thank God, all are doing well. That’s why the families feel confident and happy “when we return.”
Most consultations take place outside the center. In East Timor, not only is everything free, but it’s also uncommon for patients to seek out health centers or hospitals. They usually go only when the situation is already severe — and in the case of mental health, even less so, due to persistent stigma and family shame.
We are joined by a Public Health Technician assigned by the Ministry of Health to work with us three times a week, along with the mental health nurse responsible in each area we visit. We call these areas “Outposts,” and there are four of them: Atabae, Balibo, Cailaco, and Bobonaro.
We also visit and care for patients weekly in the outskirts of Maliana, which we have divided into four zones.
Despite the fatigue we sometimes feel when we return, the most common feeling we experience and share is gratitude to God — for being instruments in His hands despite our smallness — so that many may experience His goodness and greatness.
What we do here is similar to our Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centers, although we call it a Mental Health Center, as advised by the Ministry of Health.
It functions as a Day Center from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The number of people who come to the center is still small (7 or 8) and very variable. Only two users attend regularly — we even help one of them with transport costs, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to come.
There are three main reasons for this:
In addition to occupational therapy services — which, as I mentioned, still have few users — we offer psychiatric and psychological consultations. Each month we conduct around 15 appointments at the center. Some patients who live nearby come to collect their medication, but they are still few.
Outside the center, we can perform between 40 and 50 consultations per month, with a small number of home visits. Our biggest problem right now is the lack of specialized medication. Supplies in the country are very limited, which has already led to relapses in some stabilized patients. This issue affects not only us but also hospitals and other state-run health centers. We’d also like to share that we currently have five employees working with us, and the Ministry of Health has already officially assigned one of them.”
In East Timor, as in so many other places around the world, our mission is simple and profound: to be present where we are most needed, with professionalism, tenderness, and faith. We remain confident that, with God’s help and a shared commitment, we can continue sowing hope where darkness still weighs.