In pictures: Building skills for Timor-Leste's future
This is Dili, capital of Timor-Leste, one of the world's youngest countries. Violence has rocked the tiny nation in the past and as the country develops, there will be many challenges.
This family combs the beach every morning for recyclable rubbish they can sell, but even rubbish is a valuable commodity for the poorest people as they compete to get to it.
Timor is 120th out of 169 countries ranked by the UN for development and its economy reflects this. Child labour is common, but older people often find no labour at all.
For every young person who has work, there is someone who cannot find a job. This leaves thousands of young people with nothing to do but hang around on the streets.
They live in places like this, with corrugated iron walls and roofs and whole families living in one room.
It's no wonder they get angry. Dili is getting busy for some people - there are plenty of jobs for foreign workers and traders - but many local youth feel excluded.
This anger can turn into violence. There are parts of Dili where cars get stoned, people are robbed and street gangs fight each other and stake out their territory.
To combat violence, the UN maintains a police force of around 1,500 personnel, but they are scheduled to leave in 2012.
Acacio dropped out of school, but in 2008 he took part in training arranged by Plan with a local radio station and went on to become a journalist and radio presenter.
Acacio researches, writes and presents his own scoops. Recently he exposed corruption in a school feeding programme.
This is Martina Soares Martines. She was on a Plan scheme for would-be hairdressers. Now she works at a salon in Dili and hopes to open her own business.
In Remexio, about 2 hours' drive from the capital, Plan is training another 20 young women to sew. They, too, hope to open their own businesses in the future.
Not far from Remexio, Plan is also supporting young people to farm fish in local pools like this one.
What we do today for the young people of Timor-Leste will decide what these children and their futures look like tomorrow.
December 2011: Around half of Timor-Leste's youths are unemployed. As more than 75% of the country's population is under 30 years old it means many thousands of young people are struggling to find a livelihood.
Training schemes
View the slideshow to learn about life in the capital Dili and see how Plan is providing training and employment schemes for out-of-work youths.
From supporting young people to run their own businesses to teaching skills on agriculture and food production, Plan's programmes are helping youths to achieve their potential.
Watch video on Plan's work to boost youths' skills in Timor-Leste.
Learn more about Plan's work in Timor-Leste
