At 23, Nuncio da Costa and Santiago Ribeiro come from different parts of Timor-Leste – Nuncio from Baucau Municipality and Santiago from Ermera Municipality – but they share the same aspiration: to improve the country’s animal health and livestock production.
For Nuncio the inspiration comes from home.
Growing up as the eldest of six children, he saw firsthand how livestock farming helped put food on the table and support his family’s needs. When African Swine Fever wiped out all their pigs in 2021, it was a turning point that fueled his passion to learn more about animal diseases and protect other farmers from similar losses.
“It inspired me to study animal health so I can help farmers protect their animals and income.”
Santiago’s path was similar. After high school, he started a small poultry business with friends, but disease outbreaks showed him how essential animal health knowledge is to agribusiness success.
“I want to help farmers access information and use technology to learn more about animal health.”
For Santiago, animal health is also about protecting people.
“Animal health is not only about animals, but also about human health. Many of the foods we consume come from animals, and some diseases can be transmitted from animals to people. By improving animal health, we are also protecting our communities.”
Today, both are final-year animal health students at the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) and recently took part in an MDF-supported training on artificial insemination for pigs. The training is part of MDF’s support to strengthen pig breeding practices in Timor-Leste by introducing practical techniques that can improve breeding efficiency, animal productivity and access to better-quality piglets for farmers.
The training didn’t just equip Nuncio and Santiago with technical knowledge, it also inspired them and their classmates to put what they had learned into practice.
While Nuncio is currently volunteering his time at a veterinary clinic, working together, they have started raising pigs and are building the pens themselves using skills gained through the MDF-supported training.
“As a group, we currently have four pigs: three boars and one sow,” they explained. “We plan to sell two of the boars for meat while keeping one boar for breeding so that we can grow our pig farm in the future
Their initiative reflects the growing confidence of young people transforming classroom lessons into real-world solutions, while exploring new business opportunities in Timor-Leste’s livestock sector.
This International Youth Day, MDF is pleased to highlight business partnerships that are translating into innovative career pathways for the young people of Timor-Leste. With nearly 75 per cent of the Timorese population under 30 years old, youth are well positioned to support the country’s economic diversification and growth.
Different contexts. Common aspirations. One generation is helping build healthier future.
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This story is part of MDF Timor-Leste’s International Youth Day campaign, celebrating the journeys of four young Timorese whose paths began in different communities but are united by shared aspirations for the future.
From animal health students in Baucau and Ermera, to emerging coffee sector leaders in Aileu and Liquiça, and young professionals supporting Timor-Leste’s growing tourism sector through call centre services, these young people are turning ambition into action.
Through learning, innovation, and hard work, they are building skills, contributing to their communities, and shaping their own economic futures.