Concluding his travelogues for HELLO! Ben Fogle writes how he found hope and optimism amid the devastation in East Timor.

“The tragic recent history of East Timor seemed a million miles away as the women and children poured out of the house joyfully yelling “Mama, mama, mama” and the elderly grandmother was helped from the cab of the truck. There were whoops and screams of joy and tears of emotion as the family was finally reunited after nearly two years of forced separation.”

He continues “Watching refugees returning home is an experience I shall never forget. The happy scene I witnessed is now, thanks to the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an increasingly common sight, and it was in the company of my best friend from university , Jake Morland, who has spent two years working for the agency, that I followed the work of the UNHCR in East Timor for HELLO!

To read more about Ben’s incredible experiences in East Timor and to see the photographs, check out this week’s HELLO! magazine, on sale now.