Angelita Dos Santos is a mother of four who lives in the village of Loidahar, a remote area in the western district of Liquica.
Before the construction of the water system in Loidahar, Angelita had to walk several kilometres to fetch water for her family. This trip was also often made by village children who made the journey home carrying their weight in water.
There is now a tap in front of Angelita's house which provides fresh, clean water.
"I am so happy because now I can get access to water directly in front of my house. Before I had to walk far to fetch water which was laborious," said Angelita.
The new water system allows her family to clean their clothes and wash regularly, tasks which could previously be done only once a week.
The improved access to water is also helping Angelita to grow more vegetables for her family. She sells vegetables left over for income.
The water system was built with Australian Government support through a community water, sanitation and hygiene program known as BESIK. BESIK is delivered in partnership with the Government of East Timor.
The people of Matai, a village in the Suai district, are also enjoying the benefits of access to clean water as a result of BESIK. Matai's new water system opened in August 2011 and will provide water to 2740 people and a primary school.
A Matai village chief, Vicente Safera, told AusAID that his community had struggled with access to clean water since its water system was destroyed in the 1999 conflict. He was delighted with Australia's assistance.
With direct BESIK support, an additional 77,000 people in over 178 villages in rural East Timor will have improved access to water by June 2012. An additional 60,000 people will have access to improved sanitation and hygiene. BESIK is also supporting the Government of East Timor to manage its own water supply projects increasing the number of people with access to clean water.