Empreza Diak

Scope, development and aims

Empreza Di’ak works to Empower Lives in one of the youngest and most impoverished nations in the world, as describe in its social media. Founded in 2010 by Filipe Alfaiate and Ariana Almeida who believed that poverty could only be eradicated by fostering innovation and. Empreza Di’ak has been creating opportunities for people in Timor-Leste to build better lives through the combination of their work and the power of business.

With the support of many dedicated friends, colleagues and organizations from all around the world, Empreza Di’ak grew to become an organization of over 30 staff plus advisors and volunteers outside Timor-Leste, fighting daily to bring long-lasting and positive change to the Timorese people through sustainable livelihoods, inclusive businesses for the informal economy, capacity building and entrepreneurism. Empreza Di’ak’s work has benefited close to 3,000 people directly and over 15,000 indirectly.

Since 2010, Empreza Di’ak has invited mind-alike people, from both the private and the third sector, to join an innovative approach to development. They have been fighting poverty by breaking down market barriers through sustainable and replicable business solutions that empower the East-Timorese and have a social impact.

The success of Empreza Di’ak’s intervention and approach has been recognized by the President of Timor-Leste in 2015 with the award of the prestigious “Sergio Vieira de Mello Human Rights Award” for its social innovation work economically empowering vulnerable communities, particularly vulnerable women.

Empowering Women for better futures

Training, mentoring and access to innovative livelihoods’ are turning silent women into inspiring stories of resilience and achievement!

Women in Timor-Leste are strong, resilient and brave. They fought for the country’s independence and continue fighting every day to rebuild this young nation. But still they suffer discrimination in health, education, employment, and access to justice - they are four times more likely than men to be unemployed and therefore often economically dependent on others.

Its award winning and ground-breaking Women Economic Empowerment Program is working across the country with women and institutional partners (women’s groups, cooperatives, shelters and service providers), turning silent women into inspiring stories of resilience and achievement. With its specialized training, mentoring and access to innovative livelihoods’ schemes more than 1000 vulnerable women are becoming masters of their own destiny since 2014 and we want to reach 10,000 women in the next ten years. We listen to their dreams and help them to build better futures.

Local Products for Local Markets

Empreza Diak believes in the power of tapping into local markets to develop local economy since 90% of consumed goods are imported - surely some of those products can be produced locally. Empreza Diak believes that local products can substitute imports, avoid money to be sent away and instead be used to develop the local market.

Some examples of work carried out recently: (i) research of over 50 products that can be produced and sold in Timor-Leste to substitute imports and generate income for communities, (ii) Timor-centered solutions: product development and implementation of sustainable methodologies, (iii) the Ikan Di’ak program, where the weekly family income of 300 households raised from $7 to $82.50, (iv) access to market – quality control, branding, marketing and link with retailers and consumers, and (v) research of equipment/products available in the region that can be imported/developed in Timor-Leste to support local production (water pumps, animal feed, food processing machines).

Building Capacity for better lives

Building capacity to empower lives through business and livelihood trainings

Unfortunately 89% of people in rural areas (75% of our population) never went to High School. This is only one example. With no access to basic skills and know-how there is no empowerment. Therefore, innovative and effective training, mentoring and coaching are at the heart of all Empreza Diak programs.

In the past fours years, its r training unit has designed, developed and developed numerous training modules and materials from the most impoverished communities in the world to public servants in national programs. All of its trainings were designed to suit the different needs and capacity of grassroots groups, vulnerable women and partner. Examples of available trainings include leadership, basic numeracy, financial literacy, asset building, environmental sustainability and livelihoods and micro-business setup and management.

The Community Development Hub

Bottom-up approach to development

In 2014 Empreza Di’ak established The Sentru Atauro Di’ak - a Community and Social Business Center on the beautiful but remote island of Atauro. This pioneer Development Hub was designed for the impoverished communities of the island to access Empreza Di’ak’s innovative training, business development and mentoring. It encompasses a business incubator focused on developing and testing microbusiness activities – in agriculture, poultry, fishing, handicrafts, and tourism – together with communities in Atauro and potential buyers to aid in developing the local economy.

This Hub also provides access to Empreza Diak's innovative training, business development, and mentoring services. Visitors to the Sentru can learn about their business development activities in agriculture, poultry, fishing, handicrafts, and tourism". It also has a shop with "an excellent range of crafts including wood carvings, weaving, metal items and clay pots" done by artisans supported and trained by the organizations in very remote areas.. The shop is open 1-5pm Sunday – Friday and Saturday 9am-12noon and 1-5pm.