In this interview, we hear from Kyle Scheer. Kyle is a Peace Corps volunteer working as a Community and Economic Development (CED) volunteer in Timor-Leste. What Kyle shares gives us a better understanding of the work volunteers do. We learn about the challenges, rewards, and personal growth that happens from volunteering in a new place. Kyle talks about living in a different country, working with local people, and dealing with surprise situations. Join us as we learn about Kyle’s journey and see how volunteering with Peace Corps can change lives.
Table of Contents
- Volunteer Experience and Motivation
- Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
- Surprises and Challenges
- Advice and Support
- Practical Tips and Language Learning
- Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. Can you tell us more about serving as an CED volunteer in Timor-Leste?
As a Community Economic Development (CED) volunteer in Timor-Leste, my main focus is helping small businesses and community groups with various projects. I’ve worked with local artisans on making products marketable and profitable, local government leaders on developing a computer training center, and a variety of business owners and community groups on developing local tourism. I also teach English in my community.
2. What motivated you to join the Peace Corps and choose Timor-Leste?
I joined the Peace Corps because I wanted to experience a new culture in a deeply immersive way, and believe in the mission of the Peace Corps to connect people from across the world and address community-identified needs. Timor-Leste stood out in my research as a beautiful and new country, where the views were breathtaking and the possibility for positive change was strong. Additionally, the President of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos Horta, specifically stated how important the Peace Corps was to his nation’s development. It was important to me to serve in a country where our service was wanted.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. Tell us more about your home situation:
I live in a small beachside town, which has a population of around 3000 people spread out over a wide area. I live with a host family of 10-17 people at any given time, as cousins and other family members float in and out of staying with us. Meals here are simple and fresh—rice, vegetables, and local fish are staples. My family also has chickens and many fruit trees, so I am able to eat quite well. Being near the sea allows me to swim regularly, and I also play soccer with the guys in the community or go running.
4. Any memorable experiences or interactions you’ve had?
One particularly memorable—and admittedly embarrassing—moment happened during one of my first training sessions with local women artisans. I was explaining how to evaluate expenses to calculate profit margins and wanted to encourage them by saying, “Ita-boot sira badinas no halo produtu kapas” (“You all are hard-working and make great products”) in Tetun. But instead of saying “badinas” (hard-working), I accidentally used the word “bandeira,” which means “menstrual period.” The women’s expressions made it clear I’d said something odd, though it wasn’t until later that I learned my mistake.
Thankfully, at the next training, we shared a good laugh about it. I tell this story to reassure other volunteers: mistakes will happen, but community members are often far more forgiving than we are with ourselves.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about CED challenges in Timor-Leste?
I was surprised by just how much patience and adaptability are essential when working here, especially in coordinating with government offices. The pace of change is often slower than what I’m accustomed to, as projects need to respect local customs and timelines. Plans can shift unexpectedly, too; an event or meeting might be scheduled and confirmed, but a spontaneous gathering or community obligation will take priority, requiring a last-minute change. I’m naturally more of a go-getter, so adjusting to this more flexible and communal way of working has been a challenge, yet it’s also deepened my respect for the culture’s emphasis on relationships and shared responsibilities.
6. What challenges did you face while working on projects?
One challenge was aligning project goals with community expectations and interests. I’d often have an idea for developing tourism or the local economy, but if I wasn’t able to find community partners that shared that vision and had the time, resources, and motivation to collaborate on implementing it, it didn’t matter. It’s essential to make sure that initiatives are genuinely community-driven, so a lot of time goes into listening and understanding.
7. Could you share some of the secondary projects you have been involved?
One project I’m excited about that isn’t part of my community work is the Tetun Movie Subtitle Project, translating movie subtitles into Tetun. Volunteers, both expats, and locals, are working together to make movies more accessible for Tetun speakers, which I hope will help with cultural exchange and English learning, especially for the younger kids. We are making our way through the Pixar movies now, and hoping to expand to other popular movies soon.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to someone considering serving as an CED volunteer in Timor-Leste?
Embrace flexibility and prioritize relationship-building. The Community Entry Toolkit and PACA tools are taught for a reason. Use them. Much of the work here is relational, so take time to learn about the culture, connect with people, and show a genuine interest. Sitting at a stranger’s house for an hour or two can be more rewarding and insightful than an hour doing nothing in an office. Also, learn the local language of your permanent community too, not just Tetun.
9. How has the Peace Corps training helped you during your service?
The Peace Corps training was incredibly useful. It couldn’t prepare us for everything, but you shouldn’t expect it to. Go into PST focused and ready to learn, and you’ll do just fine.
Kyle has also created a helpful video on using Obsidian to keep everything organized throughout your service. The video covers tools for tracking projects, managing tasks, and organizing people, classes, and meetings. It even includes links to a vault template and Obsidian download to help you get started HERE!
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. Anything that you packed or didn’t pack that you’d like to tell future Timor-Leste volunteers?
Bring extra pairs of quality underwear. Other than that, you don’t need as many clothes as you think. If you like to read, get a Kindle or other e-reader. Attend the Zoom calls before you come here, as they’ll provide more info on packing.
11. How has learning the language been?
Study as much as you can, and practice talking as much as possible. Once you get to your permanent site, for the first 3 months, your 1st priority should be meeting community members and doing the community entry toolkit, and your 2ndpriority should be learning the local language. It will make the next 2 years much easier.
Final Thoughts
12. Any last comments or observations you’d like to pass on to future Timor-Leste volunteers?
Timor-Leste is a beautiful country with a lot of opportunities for development. Get involved deeply in your community, embrace nature, and be there for your other volunteers, and let them be there for you.
What are you waiting for? Opportunities like this don’t come often. If you have a passion for service and an adventurous spirit like Kyle’s, apply to the Peace Corps today. Expand your horizons, push your limits, and create positive impact as a volunteer. You never know how serving as a Peace Corps volunteer could change your life.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or Timor-Leste Government.
