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One day I met a young man from Baucau. We talked about Timor-Leste — his life, his dreams, his future. I asked him a few questions in English, and he answered in English.
His English wasn’t perfect.
But the thing I found most important wasn’t whether his English was perfect or not.
He had the courage to speak.
And then something happened that made me think hard about our young people.
The video got a lot of attention. But some people left unkind comments and laughed at him because of his English. It made him feel ashamed, and he no longer wanted the video to be up.
From that one small situation, I started asking myself:
Why do we laugh at someone who is trying to learn?
None of us is a native speaker
Young Timorese, there’s something we need to understand.
English is not our mother tongue.
We didn’t grow up in a country where English is the main language. So when we start speaking English, our pronunciation can be wrong. Our grammar can be wrong. We can forget words. We can speak without flow.
And that is normal.
Everyone who speaks good English today also started, at some point, with English that wasn’t perfect.
The problem isn’t that our English isn’t perfect.
The problem is when we’re afraid to speak because we’re afraid someone will laugh at us.
If you wait until your English is perfect before you speak, you’ll be waiting a very long time.
To start speaking is to start learning
You can’t learn to speak English from books alone.
You have to speak.
You have to try.
You have to make mistakes.
You have to listen to other people.
Then you try again.
The more you speak, the more words you’ll learn. You’ll understand grammar better. Your pronunciation will get better. You’ll feel more comfortable.
Practice is what makes you better.
So when a young person speaks English and gets it wrong, don’t look only at the mistake.
Look at the courage.
They had the courage to try something they haven’t mastered yet.
And that courage is what we should be encouraging.
Don’t tear each other down — build each other up
Our young people are Timor-Leste’s future.
If a young person tries to speak English and we laugh at them, tomorrow they may be afraid to speak again.
But if we say:
“Good! Keep trying. You can get better.”
we can change their life.
One comment can make someone lose their confidence.
But one comment can also give someone the courage to keep going.
So we have to choose:
Do we want to laugh at each other, or build each other up?
Do we want to make each other afraid, or give each other courage?
Timor-Leste needs young people with courage
The world is open now.
A young Timorese can speak with people from Indonesia, Australia, Portugal, America, the Philippines, and many other countries.
English can be a bridge — a way for us to know the world and for the world to know Timor-Leste.
But that bridge doesn’t begin with perfection.
That bridge begins with courage.
If you want to study abroad, look for opportunities, do business with people from other countries, learn technology, share your culture, or simply meet new people — you need to communicate.
And communication begins the moment you have the courage to say:
“I’ll try.”
It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake.
It doesn’t matter if your accent is different.
It doesn’t matter if your English doesn’t flow yet.
Start.
Then learn.
Then improve.
Then try again.
With time, you’ll see the change.
Your dream shouldn’t die because of someone else’s comment
A young person has a dream.
Maybe they want to be a doctor.
Maybe they want to be an engineer.
Maybe they want to start a business.
Maybe they want to work abroad.
Maybe they want to learn technology.
Maybe they want to help their family.
Maybe they want to do something big for Timor-Leste.
Don’t let someone else’s comment make them stop.
And when you see someone trying to do something good, give them strength.
Because you never know when one simple sentence from you might change someone’s day, someone’s confidence, or someone’s future.
Change has to start with each of us
We often say:
“Timor has to change.”
But I want to ask:
“If you want Timor to change, who has to start?”
The answer is you.
You don’t have to wait for the government.
You don’t have to wait for a teacher.
You don’t have to wait for anyone else.
Each of us can start.
Start learning.
Start speaking.
Start helping each other.
Start respecting each other.
Start encouraging other young people.
When one of us starts, others can see it.
When others see it, they can follow.
Then one becomes two.
Two becomes ten.
Ten becomes a hundred.
And in the end, we can have many young people who aren’t afraid to learn, aren’t afraid to speak, and aren’t afraid to make mistakes.
That is change.
To the young people of Timor-Leste
If your English isn’t good yet, don’t be ashamed.
If you make a mistake, don’t stop.
If someone laughs at you, don’t let their words make you lose your dream.
Keep learning.
Keep speaking.
Keep trying.
And when you see someone else trying, encourage them.
Because we all start from the same place.
We all have a lot to learn.
We can all make mistakes.
But we can all get better, too.
Timor-Leste will be stronger when its young people don’t tear each other down, but build each other up.
Don’t wait for someone else to start.
Start with you.
Start today. 🇹🇱❤️
— For every young Timorese with a big dream for the future.