The rain is hammering down on Angelo de Costa Belo's home in rural Timor-Leste. The ground is bone dry. It doesn’t take long for puddles to form and for the earth to turn to mud.
Barefoot children seize the opportunity to jump in the puddles and soak each other, as any child would do.
In a region suffering from the worst drought in living memory, the rain should bring a sense of relief to Angelo.
"What good is this to me?" shrugs the 54-year-old. "Even two days of rain can’t help. We have no more seeds left to plant.
"November is when we plant our maize. We plant our rice in January and February. That’s when the rains should come. But the rains didn’t come.
"I’ve got nothing to sell at market. No maize, no rice, no cassava, no peanuts, no sweet potato.
"My rice paddies are bare. It’s not just me. This drought has affected my village and all the villages around us."
120,000 people have been hit by drought in Timor-Leste.
That number could yet rise if the situation deteriorates.
In the affected areas of Baucau district, the normally lush, green expanses of rice paddies that line the road are nothing more than barren mud flats.
The maize plants that surround each house in Angelo's village of Bulobai are lifeless. The rivers that provide water to animals have dried up.
"There's no food or water for our buffalo," says Angelo. "Before we had 16 buffalo, but eight have died. What can I do? There’s no food for the animals.
"Next year, if the rains come, I won’t have enough buffalo to help with harvesting the rice. I have sold some of my goats and we sell coconuts at market, but it’s not enough.
"We have enough food reserves to last us a few more months, but that’s it. We just have to find money to buy food any way we can."
The loss of income from being unable to sell produce at market means savings have to be made elsewhere.
Money spent on children’s education is the first cutback to be made.
What is El Niño?
The drought has been caused by the weather phenomenon known as El Niño.
An El Niño forms every two to seven years.
It occurs when the surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become much warmer than average.
This ocean warming lasts about one year and sets in motion a complex cycle of events linking atmosphere and ocean.
As sea temperatures rise, a huge amount of heat is released into the atmosphere, disrupting weather patterns across the world.
To make matters worse, climate scientists are reporting that there is an increased likelihood of a La Niña weather event forming in the second half of 2016, which could bring higher-than-usual rainfall to Timor-Leste.
The threat of flooding across the country would have a serious impact on people struggling to recover from the drought.
"Sometimes on the radio they mention changes in climate, but we don't know how it will affect us," says Angelo.
"We’re afraid that this drought will carry on for some time. This is the first time a drought has lasted so long and been so bad. It worries me. The seasons are not the same anymore."
While El Niño and La Niña are naturally occurring, they are taking place at a time when communities worldwide are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change.
In response to the drought, the Timor-Leste Red Cross, known locally as Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste, has been distributing clean water to affected communities since June.
The weekly water delivery provides villagers in Bulobai with enough water for cooking, cleaning and drinking.
Red Cross volunteers are also teaching people about the importance of maintaining good hygiene during the drought.
The scarcity of water means people stop showering or washing hands.
"Because there was no water, we had to go to the river to fetch water," explains Alicia dos Santos.
"It's about one kilometre from here. But the river water is not clean so it’s no good for washing or drinking."
Alicia, 30, recounts how one elderly lady went to the river to fetch water; she slipped on the rocks and died as a result of her injuries.
"The water that the Red Cross brings us means that we don’t have to go to the river anymore," adds Alicia.
"The [Red Cross] water is clean and we can drink it. It’s a big help, but it’s not enough for our crops. Getting food is still a problem."
"Life becomes very tough"
Timor-Leste boasts a spectacular landscape: a picturesque coastline gives rise to rolling mountains and a countryside covered in palm trees and dotted with traditional villages.
Yet the attractive vista belies the suffering inflicted by the drought.
Jaquina de Costa, 54, lives in the foothills of the mountains in a village called Soba Boleha, in Baucau district.
"When there's no water, life becomes very tough," says Joaquina. "My children can’t shower and there’s only a little water for us to drink.
"We had a good harvest last year. We normally sell what we grow at the market and I use that money to send my children to school. But this year, nothing.
"If this carries on I’m not sure what we’ll do. The wells are empty. This is the worst drought that I can remember."
Jaquina had 20 goats. Only six are still alive. Her culture forbids the sale or slaughter of animals for meat. Only when they die naturally can they be eaten or sold.
"I think my remaining goats will die soon," she continues. "I have one buffalo. I used to take it to the river to drink, but the river is dry."
Building sustainable change
The Red Cross is delivering water on a weekly basis to Soba Boleha and its school.
A water tanker makes a delivery during our visit. Moments after the water container is full, women and children gather to fill their jerry cans.
Red Cross volunteers also tell people about the importance of maintaining good hygiene during the drought.
They have installed a 'tippy tap'. Much to the children’s amusement, the volunteers demonstrate how to use it and explain why it’s so important that they wash their hands.
The Timor-Leste Red Cross has 2,800 volunteers and 140 staff across the country's 13 districts.
They are working tirelessly to help around 20,000 people across three of the worst drought-affected districts: Baucau, Viqueque and Lautem.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is supporting the Timor-Leste Red Cross drought response.
"Around 60 per cent of the population works in agriculture, so a lack of water can be devastating," says Hermenegildo Rente, head of the Timor-Leste Red Cross disaster management team.
“Animals are also so important. They are the equivalent of a bank, a financial asset. They can be used to pay for children’s education.
"One buffalo is worth around $700USD. So when animals die it can have huge repercussions."
One big concern is that people are not getting a nutritional diet due to the lack of food.
Food distributions and food vouchers will ease the immediate hardship, but the Red Cross is looking to build sustainable change.
"The aim is not only to help people in the short-term, but to build their resilience so they can better cope with future changes in climate," adds Hermenegildo.
"Which is why we are teaching people about agriculture techniques while distributing seeds. It's why we’re teaching people about health and hygiene to stem the threat of diseases.
"We are also helping people to find alternative sources of income, to diversify their livelihoods so they’re not solely dependent upon crops or animals.
"If we can get the necessary funding to support our appeal, then we can build sustainable change, which is what these communities need."
A Red Cross resilience programme has been running since 2012.
30,000 people are benefitting from the work.
You can see the difference that long-term resilience programmes make.
The village of Haurobo has been part of the Timor-Leste Red Cross' resilience programme since 2012.
"So much has changed," beams Miguel Lutio, a father-of-two.
"The Red Cross taught us how to grow different vegetables – organic vegetables – without chemicals. They told us about nutritional diets and we are much healthier now.
"When we take our children to the health centre, they tell us that they are in good health. There are fewer cases of diarrhoea and the kids are clean when they go to school."
Red Cross volunteers also provided health training, for example, informing locals that they should remove stagnant water to avoid attracting mosquitoes.
Of the 112 households in the village, 76 now have toilets following Red Cross advice and training.
Two new water tanks have also been installed. The first water tank receives water from an existing water pipeline.
Locals used to walk two hours to fetch water from a well in a neighbouring village. Now it's a one-minute walk.
The second water tank harvests rainwater. Although it is nowhere near full, provides enough water for crops on a small scale.
"Water is such a precious commodity to the Timorese, but the climate is changing," says Hermenegildo.
"Droughts and floods will become more frequent. Food shortages, health issues and livelihood losses will get worse unless we act now to prepare communities."
Words and photos by Sam Smith
