Sidonio Dos Santos

Hello, my name is Sidonio Dos Santos. I was born in Timor-Leste but spent over 20 years working abroad. When both of my parents passed away, I returned home to Lospalos to live with my wife and two children. What I found when I came back shocked me: fishermen here still risk their lives every day in fragile wooden boats. These boats are unsafe, expensive to repair, and leave families waiting in fear, never knowing if their loved ones will return. That’s why I founded MarineCraft Innovations. Our mission is simple but powerful: to build marine-grade aluminium boats that are safe, durable, and sustainable. These boats will: Save lives at sea Create jobs and apprenticeships for young Timorese Strengthen food security for families Reduce deforestation by replacing wooden boats But here in Timor-Leste, we face a major challenge: there is no local supply of aluminium or modern boatbuilding equipment. This means every contribution is critical — funds will go directly to importing materials, setting up a workshop, and training the next generation of boatbuilders. Your support can transform lives. Every boat we build means safer fishermen, stronger families, and brighter futures for our communities. Please, join us on this journey. Please donate today and help us build safer boats for Timor-Leste.