Alola Esperansa is the shop of the Alola Foundation, a Timorese non-profit that works with women and children. It sells handwoven tais and items made from it, along with bags, jewellery and Timorese coffee produced by women’s groups around the country. Profits go back into the foundation’s programmes.
What you can buy
- Tais cloth, shawls and table runners
- Bags, wallets, cushion covers and clothing made with tais
- Earrings and other small handicrafts
- Timorese coffee
The shop also takes special orders, for example tais with a woven name or message.
Visiting
- Address: Avenida Bispo de Medeiros, Mascarenhas, Dili.
- Opening hours: the foundation’s website lists weekday and weekend hours inconsistently, with a lunch break, so call or message before you go.
- Why it matters: tais weaving was added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2021, and buying directly from weavers’ groups helps keep the craft alive.
Contact
- Phone: +670 332 3855
- WhatsApp: +670 7762 5999
- Email: alolaesperansa@alolafoundation.org
- Website: Alola Foundation: Alola Esperança