Well, I had an amazing week in Timor-Leste before the holidays! So interesting to see community development in action overseas in the local municipality of Baucau. I went once before in 2019, and it was super to go again, understanding a little bit more about the culture, having built relationships with people and knowing what to expect!

And it is quite a privilege to have access to the long-standing and trusted professional and personal relationships that have formed over the last 20+ years between Friends of Baucau and the municipality, community groups, international NGOs and people of Baucau in Timor-Leste.

I went with Ursula Harrison (who used to run Thornbury Women’s Neighbourhood House - now part of Bridge Darebin) and Glenda Laslett (who used to run the Timor-Leste office of Australian Volunteers International). Glenda speaks both Indonesian and Tetum which was super handy!

This was a flying visit - but we packed a LOT in - each evening I went to bed having had 4-5 meetings, travelled numerous bumpy to treacherous roads (even river crossings with visible crocodiles!) with lots of amazing and inspiring conversations. So … some highlights ….

Spending time with amazing people who work and volunteer so generously in their community.

Mana (courtesy title for women) Regina is the women’s empowerment officer for the municipality - she is on every board and every committee (it seems) and knows what’s going on for women across the whole of the region. This time we had formal meetings, but she also took us out to a small farming community to meet two women (sisters-in-law) who had completed business training and then applied for an associated micro-credit scheme opportunity (they loaned $1000 with a two year payback period). With their funds they bought piglets … which then had babies, which they sold, and bought a great new fence for the piggery that they could lock securely … and are also now growing some pigs up for butchering … and then they bought a little shop … and a freezer … and now they are contemplating growing chickens (mindful of bird flu). Inspiring to think what a $1000 loan can do for entire families.

Because, we also went to a maternity hospital that is independently run - where they told us the 43% of children from 0-5 years of age in Timor-Leste are malnourished. Economic insecurity is a massive issue in Timor-Leste. But … the pristine maternity hospital - wow! Called Fundasaun Lafaek Diak (FDL) they have 2 fixed facilities, help around 15 women a month give birth, run a mobile clinic that visits 12 townships each month to provide ongoing care, and have 2 doctors, 6 nurses, 4 midwives, a pharmacist and a pathologist on their staff. The facilities were set up by Maun (courtesy title for men) Constantino.

The organisation provides pre-natal, birthing and follow-up care for families - fundamental in relation to nutrition education and support as the babies grow - to try and address the malnutrition situation through education and ongoing health checks … and also family planning. They proudly showed us the pharmacy with IUDs, injectable birth control (like mirena’s) and birth control pills (important in a traditionally conservative Catholic country).

Along with all the vaccinations that Australian kids get … and the detailed and highly professional record keeping systems in their office. And they had some lovely ‘knitted boobs’ on display - for demonstrating breast feeding. They told us that an incubator is on their wish list …

Speaking of the wide sweeping impact of economic uncertainty/poverty - we visited Mana Femy - an absolute dynamo in the community - who established and now runs a safe house for women and children called UMA PAS. This wrap around service works with the local villages (via the village leaders or xefes), police and other community services to identify and provide a safe escape for women and children fleeing family physical and sexual violence. The service offers 24 hour housing, care and security, food, transport, clothes etc. etc. with psychological support services, counselling and community liaison - that helps the victims to return to their families (eg. parents/siblings/communities) safely, sometimes even building housing for them. And organising ongoing connection and care. She has a minimum of 9 staff to run all this, and a lot of funding uncertainty (it seems that Government funding can lag, with months at a time missed …. Friends of Baucau has often provided bridging finance in these circumstances).

When we were there we met about 4-5 women using the facility - all with 2-4 children in tow. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, people to clothe, and keep busy in a small space. They are currently looking to set up a kitchen garden on the site - to grow food but also to keep the kids and mums busy and active, with meaningful things to do during the day.

The wrap around services of UMA PAS are complemented by another amazing organisation, CFHD, run by Mana Teresa. This organisaton is all about women’s empowerment - helping women build their ability to contribute economically to the family through training (they have computers for group use) and practical activities (they are currently helping communities learn how to preserve and package food - and teaching them how to dry and dehydrate food - tomatoes, fruit etc.). They also used to have a kitchen onsite and had local women teaching tourists to cook traditional food … weaving pouches for steamed coconut rice - this program is temporarily on hold but will be back at some stage (there’s a lot of building development around their site at the moment that makes it tricky for tourists to visit).

Mana Teresa was also explaining that they (along with Mana Femy) run ‘Impulse Control’ training in schools to year 10 students - teaching young adults techniques for how to not lose their tempers, in an effort to reduce family violence. She is now contemplating how to run a similar education program for men who have been charged with family violence offences. It is going to be an ongoing shared conversation I think … maybe looking what has been successful in Australia or Indonesia - and trialling some approaches to see if they get any traction with uptake and/or successful community outcomes.

Visiting the school (notice they put up the Australian flag for our visit!).

Maun Rui’s wife Mana Metta … we had a lovey lunch with them at their house.

Speaking of schools, we visited one truly in the middle of nowhere. The 20 Augusto School was at least 40 minutes from Maun Rui’s town (which itself is about 30 minutes from Baucau) … across a river and up a dirt track on the side of a mountain out the back of Samalari, with about 20 houses (and that is being generous) nearby. Most of the students (around 100) were walking kilometres to school every day and then back at 1pm in the mid 30 degree heat of the afternoon. And as it was the dry season, when they got home they were then walking down to the local water source to lug water for cooking and all the things we all need water for every day! Before our visit to the school we were lucky to have lunch with local xefes Maun Rui and his family at their house. He also took us to his office and introduced us to his office staff (3 young women and an older man). Interestingly he proudly pointed out the community garden embedded in the river delta adjacent to his village. The inspiration for it came from the community garden at Richmond Neighbourhood House - when he was in Australia with Friends of Baucau studying English at RMIT back in 2016 … and … now it is 10 years later! See - intercultural cross-pollination in action.

Cultural dancing (I haven’t included the embarrassing video of us joining in!)

In addition to all this, we met with Maun Hos. He plays the guitar and writes songs, and his organisation Afalyca, teaches dancing and art - all on a volunteer basis. A great way for children and young adults to be busy and do meaningful and fulfilling activities. Some of the young people performed cultural dances for us, whilst Hos and others played guitar. Friends of Baucau had given them money in the past to purchase matching outfits to wear when performing. It was super to see them being used! We talked about recording some of his music. As an aside, he also trains the local young women’s soccer team. We had discussions about equipment needs etc. as some soccer clubs in Melbourne have donated to another friendship group here in Australia … and there is excess that can possibly be shared around if transport can be worked out.

And … in addition to all of this, we met with a newish disability support group (run by people living with a disability) who were starting to work with towns across Baucau municipality to document people living with disability and then helping them register for government services (quite a challenge when people often don’t have birth certificates or ANY bank accounts eg. any formal documentation) … and we met with Margie, an Australian volunteer who helps run the local teacher’s college. Friends of Baucau provides tuition and living allowance scholarships for 3 young women to complete their teaching degrees each year - another important way to enable women to contribute economically and break the cycle of poverty and the associated potential for malnourishment, family violence etc.

And … we met with the Deputy Director of Baucau Municipality (eg. the Deputy Mayor) as the Director was away … and we met a few school groups passing through, and some Australian volunteers who were trialing a new DFAT funded program preparing those hoping to come to Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme to understand what to expect. And we met with other friendship groups, and Maun Joao who is the Timor-Leste contact for friendship groups in Dili … etc.

Official business at the Municipal offices.

Anyway, it was super. And there are lots of possibilities that come out of this … we can help our colleagues with grant applications, small equipment purchases, think about how we could source donations like soccer gear, school supplies, computers, help build connections to like-minded community groups here in our own community (if you are inspired please contact me! and I can connect you up) … maybe someone in our community is interested in the hospital or has thoughts about incubators or baby warmers … is interested in the kitchen garden at the safe house …. knows about family violence offender programs and how to build behavior change, would like to sponsor a student teacher …

Timor-Leste is the poorest country in our region. Their $ is the USD which makes it hard sometimes, and the average person lives on less than $1 a day. Darebin and Yarra Councils have a formal partnership agreement with Baucau municipality - and used to fund an actual neighbourhood house over there - that’s how Teresa, and Femy and Regina all started out doing the work they now do … So, it was super interesting for me (as the representative of a neighbourhood house) to visit again and keep up the connections. And so inspiring!

If you want to do something practical you can buy Friends of Baucau coffee - about $12 from each packet goes directly to programs. We sell it, as does Juliette at the milkbar … or you could come along to the upcoming trivia night (18 November) at Preston Shire Hall - Friends of Baucau’s major fundraiser this year. Here’s the link to find out more and book a seat. It should be fun!

Cheers Leanne

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