Bella was born in Timor-Leste in 1972. After the Indonesian military invaded Timor-Leste in 1975, some of her brothers were killed and her father was detained by the military. Bella herself was sold for a mere 5 dollars to the Indonesian military, and was later forcefully injected with a contraceptive drug by the Indonesian military, leaving her unable to have children. At the age of 16, Bella joined the resistance and spent her adolescence fighting for her country’s liberation.