When the fighting, destruction and looting broke out after the results of the ballot, they were transferred to Darwin, Australia. While they waited for the multinational force to get the situation under control, they received training for the job as civil administrators at subdistrict levels in East Timor. Bupati is the equivalent of mayor in Tetun, the predominant native language spoken in East Timor. She also provides a link to UN agencies based in the capital, Dili and reports on the need for relief items.
People are eager to get their communities back on their feet.
Homes in most villages in the area are only scorched skeletons without roofs, windows or anything of value left inside. The rainy season comes earlier in the mountains than in the lowlands. The planting season is therefore over, and road repairs are complicated by wet conditions and mudslides. A lot of people are still missing, and people are worried about family members who have not returned. But the willingness to rebuild and rehabilitate seems strong.