TIMOR-LESTE

FRE
EC
OP
Y

NOW AND THE FUTURE

2008

TeenRAGE
years Why Timor’s youth are angry

PLUS
Oecusse gets attention
CRC turns 18
 Foreword
Timor-Leste, as a new How is it like to Editor: Mary Ann Maglipon,
nation, has so many live as a teenager in a Bridgette See
opportunities at its feet young nation that is still Tetum editor: Antonio Gomes
to improve the lives of struggling to establish its Contributors: Dominggus Monemnasi,
Timorese women, youth policies and programmes Judit Pinto, Lauren Rumble, Maria
and children. This is a of development and do Ceu, Maria Martins, Darla
country, blessed with effective governance? Rudakubana, Sophie Boudre, Ehud
young people and rich How is it like to live as Bell, Bishnu Pokhrel, Fr. Nelson
natural resources that can a teenager where the Photographers: Mario Joni dos Santos,
be tapped and harnessed scope and quality of João Vas, Martine Perret, Anthony
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Lay

properly to achieve great education are still in its Asael, Stephanie Rabemiafara,
change. beginning years? What is Armando Lay, Enrico Leonardi
But indeed, there are it like to live in a society Designer: Yulian Setyanto / DesignLab
many challenges. with strong affinities to
A year ago, UNICEF compiled a series different political groups and gangs? And Special thanks to all UNICEF staff
of articles and photographs to document more important, how can youth really be and partners who helped in one way
how several thousands of lives had been active partners in building a nation that or another to breathe life into this
affected by the crises. Stories included must attain progress quickly so that its publication.
how women from different generations people can enjoy development?
saw the violence that marked the history of The series of articles that we have
the Timorese people; how people lived in lined up in this year’s magazine attempts
the camps both in Dili and in the districts to share some insight on these questions.
For additional information please
due to the 2006 crisis; how bringing back Several researches on the young, including
contact:
education to the children was a rallying how they perceive the work opportunities
cry; and how UNICEF worked with its and how they perceive their sexuality,
United Nations Children’s Fund
different partners to plan and implement are summarised. All of these are written
Timor-Leste
programmes meant to enrich the lives of to provide a glimpse of the world of the
UN House
Timorese children. young people in Timor-Leste.
P.O. Box 212
This time, attention zeroes in on the The teenage years are years of discovery
Rua de Caicoli
youth of Timor-Leste. In this nation of and challenges. And in this young nation,
Dili, Timor-Leste
slightly over one million, around 240,000 the challenges are in themselves the
are in the adolescent and teenage cohort. opportunities.
T: +670 3313532
F: +670 3313532
Jun Kukita Email: dili@unicef.org
Representative Website: www.unicef.org
UNICEF Timor-Leste
 2008

TeenRAGE Years
Blamed for much of the past
year’s violence, young people
say they have been victims too.
What they want now are clear
policies to deliver them from
their disappointments.

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2006/Asael
CRC turns 18 19/ PROFILE 34/ NUTRITION
New UNICEF Representative steps Pilot community health volunteer
up to the challenge programme takes off
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Santos

20/ HIV 36/ WATER

Timor’s first HIV/AIDS campaign Bringing hope to communities
urges young people to take action through an integrated approach

10/ Coming of Age 22/ CHILD PROTECTION 47/ COMMENTARY

Child-friendly police station reaches Are we doing enough to protect
Challenges ahead to realise
out to vulnerable children Timor’s children?
children’s rights

12/ Children’s Day 24/ EDUCATION Occidental

Martine Perret/UNMIT

Timor’s young call upon leaders

Parent Teacher Associations making Oecusse:
a difference in Aileu Separated
to protect their rights
28/ COMMUNICATION
but one with
15/ Is Peace Just A Dream? UNICEF radio programme gives the
Timor-Leste,
the enclave is
Commentary
young an avenue to express now getting
16/ The President’s Views 30/ IMMUNISATION
the attention
it needs
Dr José Ramos-Horta shares his

38
How tetanus can be eliminated with
thoughts with youth journalists
an affordable vaccine

Cover: Photograph by Martine Perret/UNMIT

2008 
 Teen
RAGE
Why Timor’s youth are angry
Years:
Blamed for much of the past year’s
violence, young people say they have
been victims too. What they want now
are clear policies to deliver them from
their disappointments.

By Bridgette See

 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2006/Asael


2008
TeenRAGE Years
“Edu came for dinner, after that he
taught Nina how to paint before
returning home. But before the
ink on her painting dried, we
heard gunshots near the chapel.
Suddenly, I heard someone shout
and cry that Edu had fallen…He
was taken to the hospital
immediately. After that we heard
he died of a gunshot wound in his
head…” - 22 March 2007, 10:30 pm
T.
began keeping a diary in February
when his aldeia (sub-village)
became the target of attacks from
neighbouring aldeias. He believes
his aldeia is under siege because they had
offered shelter to some members of a
martial arts group.
“We don’t want to chase them out
of our village because they’ve lost their
homes. They were not involved in criminal
activities,” T. explains.
But the youth in Perumnas, one of
the neighbouring aldeias, have a different
story to tell.
Fernando da Costa who volunteers for
the National Youth Council explains, “The
boys [from Perumnas] are not hunting
down every member [of the group]. They
know them well — who is who — so they
know clearly whom they’re after.”
Da Costa has been trying to forge
peace in the neighbourhood and admits
it is not easy. He says the feud began after
the murders of a young policeman and
a youth, allegedly by certain members
of this martial arts group. But as far as
neighbourhood wars go, truth lurks in
murky waters; it is hard to say for sure
 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
who started what. So the cycle of revenge
is perpetuated — one killing for another,
one attack for another.
“When things went really wrong, no
one really knew who was killing who,”
recalls da Costa.
The fighting sometimes got so badly
out of hand that warning shots had to
be fired by the police to disperse the
groups. But the situation has cooled down
considerably after a police post was set up
in Bairro Pite, the main village.
Elsewhere, young people are still
giving law enforcers headaches with their
newfound pastime — aiming stones
and arrows at passing cars. Cracked
windshields and shattered windows in Dili
bear testament to their destructive hobby.
Susceptible a disturbing effect on young children and
Since the crisis erupted in May 2006, youth.
the nature of the Timorese conflict has Who can forget the scenes of masked
evolved variously – from discontentment Timorese youth, as they were captured on
within the army, to a full-blown ethnic TV by news crews, wielding machetes,
divide and political meltdown, and then burning homes, and threatening
to feuding martial arts groups. While people? A 2007 short film by Max Stahl
people admit it is hard to pin down the (commissioned by UNICEF) showed
root cause, they agree that there has been groups of rioting young men and boys

<
<
Martine Perret/UNMIT
attacking a government building. An
angst-filled 17-year-old shouts into the
camera: “We are the future of the nation
but the Government has been silent about
us. As youth, we have the right to express
ourselves.”
These images beg the question: what
is causing the rage in Timor’s children
and young people? Why is violence their
2008
youth bravado; even from love rivalries to
gang feuds or family grudges resurrected
by the chaos.
The solutions they proposed were
just as varied: from good parenting in the
home to sound policies from the state. So
far, various groups have initiated peace
building activities, ranging from the
government-led Simu Malu (Acceptance)
dialogues, to peace education, and even
mediation amongst the martial arts
groups.
UNICEF’s Bridget Job-Johnson
thinks life skills education is part of the
answer. “When young people can analyse
situations and see the different choices they
have, they can then make good decisions.
If they don’t have such skills, they’re more
likely to succumb to peer pressure,” says
Job-Johnson, an Adolescents and HIV/
AIDS specialist.
Immediately after the crisis, UNICEF
Martine Perret/UNMIT
and its partners expanded the life skills
programme to camps for internally
displaced persons (IDP). From 2006
to October 2007, 12,000 youths in the
Fledgling democracy:
country were introduced to topics such
Timor-Leste meets the challenges of a young nation with as self-awareness, coping with emotions,
half of its population under 18 years
communication skills, decision-making
and HIV/AIDS. Job-Johnson says reports
Healthy distraction: from IDP camps indicate that the young
A newly opened youth centre in Dili provides space for the
people who attended the classes were less
young to unleash their energies
likely to join in violent activities.
choice of self-expression? Justice
To answer that, young people want The lack of a transparent judicial
adults to first stop making blanket system is another reason for the continuing
statements about them. According to violence, according to Fernando da Costa.
a 2007 study commissioned by PLAN “People can’t see justice, so they decide to
International, young people felt that most take their own action with street justice,”
youths were not troublemakers – they said he says. “Once the justice system runs
only 10-25% participated in the 2006 without corruption, people will then
violence. realise that if you do something, you have
They were unanimous in the opinion to bear the consequences.”
that young people had been manipulated But he also adds, “You can’t throw all
by political leaders. One drew a powerful the youth into jails, or else the villages
metaphor: “Young people are used, just would be empty.” Instead, da Costa thinks
like stepping stones in the river, so the there could be a tribunal for minor youth
leaders can get what they want… [And crimes that would allow offenders to
never get their feet wet.]” make amends through compensation or
When asked why young people are community service.
so susceptible to manipulation, they gave At the Becora prison, 18-year old Jose
reasons ranging from the lack of education Pires has been in pre-trial detention since
to unemployment; from boredom to March 2007; his charge sheet accused

TeenRAGE Years
Reflections:
Pires pens down his regrets from
the solitude of his prison cell
him of causing public disorder. The boy
had gotten drunk at a friend’s farewell and
they had danced on the road; they then
allegedly assaulted a taxi driver. Pires says
he can’t remember if he hit anyone but
when the security forces arrived, he was
the only one nabbed as he was too drunk
to escape.
In his prison diary, he wrote in
Indonesian: “I write this when I was in
loneliness…My eyes are closed… Far away
from family, friends and the one I really
love…But I know that one day, I will be
happy with them again.”
Joao Pequinho from human rights
monitoring group Forum Tau Matan says
Pires should be considered a delinquent
and not a criminal. And although Pires
belonged to a martial arts group, he has
not been accused of any crimes in relation
to that.
“We’re advocating for the Government
to establish alternative diversionary
measures instead of imprisonment,”
Pequinho says, so that boys like Pires can
learn from their mistakes in other ways,
without losing the opportunity to study
while being locked away.
Pires scribbled down a note hurriedly
in halting English after the interview: “I
am come here with problem, drink alcohol
and drunk dance… I am feel worried when
at prison lose everything… I am swear not
want drink alcohol more now!”
Bright-eyed and smart, Pires — like so
many young people — flirted with trouble
and is now paying a price for his folly.
 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
T
o keep young people out of trouble,
Joao da Silva began organising
sporting events with UNICEF’s
support in 2006. Then in 2007, his
group Choque held a soccer competition
from August to October. Every Friday
to Sunday, teams of boys and men from
villages, including Bairro Pite, would
troop down to Becora — armed with
footballs instead of machetes to slug out
their differences peacefully.
Although these events have been
popular, da Silva knows the road to peace
is long. “To change the mentality [of
violence], we will need a lot of time, but
we have to start somewhere. [Our efforts]
may not work today but they will in 10 to
15 years,” he says.
But at least in da Silva’s backyard
– Becora – there have been no major
disturbances for the past year and a half,
which many credit him for. (See story on
page 9)
Benicia Magno was also rallied into
action after the May crisis. “I was so
frustrated to see the conflict…We couldn’t
do anything, we were afraid to visit our prevention and mediation. A group of the
friends,” recounts Magno. “At that time, participants now call themselves Belun
youth was seen in such a negative way, I ba Dame (Friends for Peace) and works
felt that there were still many other youth with the East Timor National University’s
who wanted to do positive things.” new Peace and Community Development
After attending a peace camp in Centre to run peace-building activities.
Bangkok, she led volunteers to organise
a similar one here in 2007. It brought Youth-focused policies
youth leaders from IDP camps and villages The recent crisis has thrown young
together to discuss their conflicts, through people into the spotlight — yet the
open dialogues and sessions on conflict writing’s been on the wall for years.

Studies, including the 2004 Census, have
early on indicated the potential problems
for Timor if youth issues were not quickly
addressed.
A 2007 Youth Employment Study by
the International Labour Organisation
further confirmed that young Timorese
were dropping out of school too early, thus
unable to find proper work. Nearly 60%
of those surveyed also cited “unsuitable
type of education” as the major obstacle to
2008
< Behind bars:
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
employment. With the lack of appropriate
skills and work experience, their chances
of employment decrease over time, leading
to a vicious cycle of poverty even into
adulthood.
The frustration with finding work is
apparent. According to PLAN’s survey,
young people resent the Government for
not creating enough jobs for them.
“The young people are susceptible
to bribery because they are jobless,” says
With no alternatives to imprisonment, the Becora children’s
prison is where juvenile offenders go
Father Augustinho Soares who heads the
Dili Diocese’s social outreach arm. “They
have no money… so when people pay
them, they start to throw stones, so they
really need education and jobs.”
The Catholic Church has responded
by conducting peace dialogues in villages
that are still fighting, as well as providing
training in carpentry, automotive repairs
and English so that young people can find
work.
“The youth have now realised that what
they did was not good. In the beginning,
they fell to the tactics, but now most of
them are aware of this,” Father Soares
says.
In a country where nearly half of the
population is under the age of 18, and one
in three falls in the 15-29 years category,
there is indeed a pressing need to develop
youth-focused policies.
For these reasons, work began in 2005
to draft a National Youth Policy to guide
youth development in the country. The
draft has since been revised with the 2006
crisis in mind — peace building, literacy,
job creation, and youth participation are
listed as key strategies; a Youth Fund is
proposed to provide resources to support
youth initiatives.
“We looked at young people not just
from the angle of them being a problem,
but how they can be assets to nation
building,” recounts Job-Johnson, who
participated in the drafting process. “It
was clear that if we didn’t harness the
youth energy, they would be a problem.”
The silver lining from the crisis may
well be that the voices of angry youth have
never been more loudly heard. The onus is
now on the new Government to respond;
its 2007-2012 programme document states
that “youths will be a constant concern of
the different governmental sectors.”
President Jose Ramos-Horta told the
UN General Assembly in September 2007
that Timor-Leste will prioritise spending
on education and youth employment. He
also spoke about setting up a permanent

 TeenRAGE Years
Youth Parliament for teenagers: “This is
not only an effective and creative way to
empower youth but also serves as a unique
leadership development process and as a
school for future leaders.”
There is definitely much work laid
out ahead for Miguel Manitelo, the new
Secretary of State for Youth. His first task
is to get the draft National Youth Policy
approved and he also wants to make sure
that the law to regulate martial arts groups
is enforced.
“Some parliamentarians are calling
for the closure of martial arts groups but
this is not the solution,” he says. Instead
©UNICEF/03121d/John Vink/Magnum
 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
Martine Perret/UNMIT
Martine Perret/UNMIT
Mismatch: Young people say their education has not confidence in Manitelo, even as he admits
helped them to find work (top); Hunting high and low: A he has many challenges ahead.
young man manages to find work at a construction site in “I see youth as youth, not from which
Dili, but others who come to the capital city are not so lucky political party,” says Manitelo, who headed
the National Youth Council for five years
he thinks the first step is to define and until recently. “We will not support any
categorise martial arts groups so that other politically-related youth activities.” He
youth groups do not give the sport a bad adds that he wants young people to be
name. The law, when enforced, will not “partners” to carry out new initiatives.
only keep a tab on the martial arts groups For that, youth leaders like da Costa
but also support their activities. are ready to rise to the challenge.
As for the range of youth issues to be “There’s optimism that things will
tackled, the Secretary will work closely change, we won’t live with this forever. The
with various ministries to develop youth- country will grow only if we [the youth]
focused programmes. There is an air of contribute,” says da Costa.
Martial arts can unite differences
“Bon dia friends in Timor-Leste! I was are from as long as we are united in a
introduced to Chinese martial arts at sport that disciplines both our mind and
a very young age and those skills have body. Martial arts can be our common
helped me to become what I am today. language — to unite differences.
I believe that martial arts can teach us
many things — discipline, respect, and
focus. As a practitioner and strong believer
of martial arts, I hope that children and
young people who are trained must
never use their skills to threaten or harm
others. Instead, we can use martial arts
to promote peace and fellowship. It does Jackie Chan
not matter which school of martial arts we UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
 MAKE PEACE,
NOT WAR
J
oao da Silva is But his death made me take action,” he
known these days says, his eyes turning watery as he recalled
as a peace promoter his brother’s death.
for rallying young When the militia began destroying
people to reconcile through homes after the 1999 referendum, da
sports. But in the ‘90s, Silva’s house was the first in Becora village
da Silva was far from to go up in smoke. He was also caught on
promoting peace — he was film wielding a long katana, dragging a
a youth activist notorious in militia man across the ground by his hair.
resisting the Indonesians. He It was his activism that earned him a
even admits to have had blood reputation and respect from young people
on his hands during those — only the foolhardy would mess with
turbulent times. him. As the ‘big brother’ of Becora village,
Da Silva became he has become known as Joao Becora.
embroiled in the Today, da Silva is leveraging on that
resistance after reputation to broker peace amongst youth
his older brother groups in various villages.
was killed on He says matter-of-factly, “You don’t
12th November send a mouse into the snake’s lair, do you?
1991 in the You send a bigger snake.”
Santa Cruz In 2006, he held a series of activities
massacre. “At that culminated in a peace march on 12th
that time I November. His message to the youth was
was only 16 to reject the east-west divide and to be
and I didn’t united so that those who died in 1991 did
want to be not do so in vain.
involved Many credit da Silva for keeping peace in

“
in politics. Becora. Since the initial chaos when the area
around the bus terminal was razed down,
the entire village has been relatively quiet,
even as youth groups rampaged in other

You don’t send parts of Dili. “I’m proud of the fact that
we have peace in Becora but it’s everyone’s

a mouse into
work, not just mine,” says da Silva.
From a teenage activist who did not
hesitate to use violence, da Silva is now,

the snake’s lair, in his 30s, a respected youth leader who

rejects violence.

do you? ”
“In those days, our motto was
‘Independence or death’ so we used many
ways to achieve independence. Now that
we have independence, what are we still
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Lay

dying for? Why don’t we just develop our

nation?” he asks.

2008 
COMING OF

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Santos

10 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

AGE:
O
n 20th November 2007, the
Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC) turned
18, with global celebrations to
mark the day when the world formally
recognised that children should enjoy the
same human rights as adults.
Here in Timor-Leste, Hercilia Belo
also celebrated her 18th birthday in the
same month, but in a dusty tent she has
called home for one and a half years. Her
house was looted and destroyed in the
political chaos of May 2006. Despite
these circumstances, she still considers
herself “lucky” because she managed to
continue her studies and is now heading
to university.
For his 18th birthday, Augusto dos
Santos said a quiet prayer thanking God
that he was still alive. There was no party
because every dollar he earns from odd
jobs goes to paying for his school fees. He
is also living in a displacement camp.
Belo and dos Santos are among the
first generation of children in the world
to reach adulthood under the protection
of the CRC. Yet, ask them if their rights
have been protected, and they will say no.
Little wonder since, in their 18 years, they
have experienced two major crises (with
violent outcomes) in 1999 and 2006.
“I know a lot about the CRC …that’s
why I feel sad because I don’t think I had
any of those rights in my childhood,” said
dos Santos. “1999 is still fresh in my mind.
I was so young, just 10, when we ran to
the jungles. We were so hungry, and all we
had were cassavas and coconuts.”
The CRC has achieved many
milestones since 1989: almost universal
ratification and child-friendly legislative
2008
The CRC has turned 18 but
challenges still lie ahead to realise its
vision of protecting children’s rights.
reforms in many governments. People are
now more aware than ever of children’s
rights. Yet as current conditions in
Timor-Leste show, ratifying the CRC is
no panacea: Timorese children still suffer
from malnutrition, poverty, and violence,
and have limited access to quality
education.
So what needs to be done?
The adoption of such a wide-spanning
convention needs to be met with sufficient
resources to enforce the laws and policies.
Most importantly, there must be a
grassroots movement to reject violence
and neglect, and for communities to
prioritise the protection of
their children.
The role of the CRC is Ratifying the CRC
thus to be a monitoring tool, is no panacea
reminding governments
of their obligations, and
citizens of their responsibilities. The
Timorese Government understands this
well. In its March 2007 state report to
the CRC Committee in Geneva, it was
honest about its limitations.
It said: “Despite considerable progress,
this report does acknowledge a number of
areas where Timor-Leste does not meet its
CRC obligations.” These areas include the
unequal access to education for children
with physical and mental disabilities, and
weakness in ensuring justice for children.
Thanks to the joint efforts of civil
society, UN agencies and the Government,
the CRC is widely-known in Timor-
Leste. Orientation workshops and active
children’s NGOs ensure that child rights
are monitored, and breaches reported.
“Our monitoring team gets regular
complaints from children in detention
By Bridgette See
that they get to meet their lawyers only
once,” said Joao Pequinho from the NGO
Forum Tau Matan.
Child suspects are also detained
for long periods before trial. Pequinho
recalled a boy who was detained for 11
months (on the charge of minor assault)
before a judge even heard his case. The
NGO tries to arrange free legal aid for
children whom Pequinho described as
having been “thrown in and forgotten.”
Pequinho was part of a delegation
that presented an alternative report to the
CRC Committee in October 2007. Based
on this, the Committee will meet with
Timor-Leste’s government
representatives in 2008
to assess the progress
and challenges faced
in implementing the
Convention.
Recommendations would then be
issued, as a roadmap for the next five
years. This document would be a powerful
advocacy tool for civil society to push for
change, giving the CRC more teeth.
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste is lucky to be
blessed with incredibly resilient children.
“As long as I am alive, I will do whatever
I can to achieve a good future,” said dos
Santos, his smiling face brimming with
hope.
As more child-friendly laws are passed
and enforced, the people of Timor-Leste
can look forward to the day when their
children are no longer denied their rights,
or lose precious formative years awaiting
justice. As poet Gabriel Mistral said,
“Many things we need can wait. The
child cannot… To him we cannot say
tomorrow, his name is today.”
11
CELEBRATING
CHILDREN’S DAY
By Mary Ann Maglipon
All photographs by João Vas
T
o the 300 or so children gathered
at the Delta Nova conference hall,
31 May and 1 June were special
days. The get-together was an
opportunity for children from 17 primary
and pre-secondary schools to get to know
the CRC better and to also discuss issues
that had impacted their lives. This was
part of the 2007 National Children’s
Day celebrations — the third time that
Timor-Leste was celebrating its tribute to
Timorese children.
The cheerful scene could not have
been of starker contrast to the situation
a year ago — when the country had just
plunged into political chaos. At that
time, there were no joyous parades; the
streets were quiet except for the roar of
helicopters overhead. On 1 June 2006,
a small group of 150 courageous women
and children commemorated Children’s
Day by gathering at the government
building Palacio do Governo. Amidst
the insecurity, they rallied for an end to
weapons on the streets, a return to school,
and for violence and death to be stopped.
Although those days are past, the
children at Delta Nova did not forget
how their rights were violated. In a series
of presentations on June 1, they reflected
and discussed how the past year’s events
had affected them; they also wanted to
know how the Government planned
to protect them from further violence,
manipulation and malnutrition. Of
concern was the involvement of children
in political campaigns, and children living
or working on the streets.
The then Prime Minister Estanislau
da Silva (top left in picture) assured
the children that the Government was
12
committed to their rights, but as a new
nation in a post-conflict situation, there are
many challenges that have inadvertently
affected the children. He also called upon
adults to provide a safe environment for
children in homes and communities. The
then Education Minister Rosalia Corte-
Real (top right in picture) also raised her
concern that many children had skipped
school in order to participate in political
campaigns in the presidential and
parliamentary elections.
When the seminar drew to a close,
the children elected 15 representatives
to present their observations and
recommendations. Each one took turns
to read from the document they drew up
which was handed over to Minister Corte-
Real.
As 300 pairs of eager eyes were fixed
intently on her, she told them that she, on
behalf of the Government, had heard the
nation’s children and she knew that action
had to be taken to respond to them. “I
accept this document very humbly and I
hope that I will do a good job in sharing
this with my colleagues. I thank you for
the honour of being part of the celebration
of the National Children’s Day,” she said.
After the parliamentary elections
in August 2007, the children’s
recommendations were submitted
to the new Government, namely to
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana
Gusmão, Deputy Prime Minister
José Luís Guterres and Justice
Minister Lucia Lobato.
Mary Ann Maglipon is Communication Specialist
with UNICEF Timor-Leste.
mmaglipon@unicef.org
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
2008 13
 What Children Really Want
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2006/Rabemiafara
Honest observations and recommendations by Timorese children submitted
to the Government, on National Children’s Day 2007.
We conclude that:
1 Children are able to express ideas
and creativity through different
public fora.
2 There are many children with
limited knowledge on the
Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC).
3 Children who are living in the
rural areas have less access to
information.
4 There are many difficulties in
learning Portuguese in school.
5 Many children became victims
during the political campaigns.
We submit our recommendations
for your consideration:
1 Reactivate the “student assembly”
10
or student parliament.
2 children’s events until the end.
Invited leaders must attend
3 to ensure students’ safety.
Provide security within each school 11 The Ministry of Education should
14
4 Government should provide more
attention to the growing number of
street children.
5 Government should establish
children’s development centres.
6 UNICEF, international/local
NGOs and the media should
continue to provide support to
promote the CRC among children,
parents and communities.
7 Government should approve and
implement the Children’s Code
(child legislation).
8 The Ministry of Education should
put more reference books in the
school libraries especially in Annur
School.
9 Government should accelerate the
process of curriculum development
for pre-secondary and secondary
school levels.
Government should not allow
children to be involved in political
campaigns.
strengthen teachers’ capacity to
teach in Portuguese.
Reflection
“I was very happy to be given an
opportunity to express my ideas and
opinions on National Children’s Day.
At the seminar, I spoke on the topic
‘Children have the right to be protected
from the perspective of health.’ Many
children shared their ideas and clarified
their uncertainties with government and
NGO representatives that were present at
the event.
We call June 1 a day for the children of
Timor-Leste yet many children are unaware
of this day, and are still suffering because
they continue to live in displacement
camps. They have lost the right to be
protected for their future. So how can
we say that children are the future of this
nation when we are not well-protected?
As a student, I don’t feel so safe when I
go to school because my school has become
an IDP camp. Many children are not well-
protected; they live in tents and face great
difficulties in their living conditions. Even
though they have received a lot of help, it
is not enough. Although the children are
laughing and seem happy, I think they
really feel sad inside – what they need is a
safe place to grow up in.
Even though I have faced many
problems during this time, the important
thing for me is how I can prepare myself
properly to be a person who can be of value
for this nation in the future. The seminar
was as an important experience for me to
develop myself for the future.”
By: Judit Pinto de Oliveira Sousa
Sacred Heart of Jesus Senior High School
In keeping with the tradition of
child participation, the students from
Sacred Heart Senior High were part of a
committee that organised the Children’s
Day celebrations. They helped in
identifying the objectives of the 2-day
seminar and in planning the sessions
and panellists. The students from Sacred
Heart also took on roles as moderators and
Master of Ceremony for the event.
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
 IS PEACE
JUST A DREAM?
This article was translated from the Tetum.
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2006/Berry
Father Nelson/ Caritas Baucau
A
t the 2007 National Children’s Day celebrations, student
Octaviana do Rosario said, “The reality [we have now]
is still far from the children’s dream to live in safety and
peace. Perhaps we can say that peace for children is still
like a dream.”
Children around the world, including Timorese children,
have the same hope to live in peace. Yet as the past two years
“
have shown, peace is indeed still
out of their reach. After four years
of independence, Timor-Leste was At times like this,
shaken up by a major political crisis where is peace
in 2006. Many people lost their to be found? ”
houses, properties, and even their
loved ones. Some attribute this to the arrogance and thirst of
the leaders to rule the country but whatever the reason, the crisis
greatly affected the people, especially women and children.
Thousands of children were displaced as a result of the
political crisis; they fled from their homes to live in tents, exposed
to rain and sun. Many were afraid to go to school because their
schools had been destroyed while chairs and tables were stolen.
The teachers also did not return to teach for fear of their lives.
“Children can get their right to education, if schools as
learning places for children are safe from violence,” said do
Rosario during her presentation in June.
At times like this, where is peace to be found?
During the presidential and parliamentary elections, many
political leaders made use of children in their campaigns. Children
were placed on the frontlines, raising banners, political symbols
and pamphlets. When violence occurred, children became the
first targets and were injured by stone throwings; some were
taken to the hospital. In April, an 8-month baby girl was injured
by stones after her mother had brought her along to a political
2008
By Antonio Gomes
Destroyed:
Charred remains of the Child-Friendly Space run
by Catholic NGO Caritas in Baucau, August 2007
(left); During better times when preschoolers
attended kindergarten at the centre, May 2006
rally. The local media also reported that some teachers stopped
teaching in order to participate in campaigns while students, still
in their school uniforms, joined in the rallies.
There was no political party that won an absolute majority
after the parliamentary elections. Everyone, including children,
was concerned what would happen next if the political leaders did
not cooperate with each other. Sadly, their worries came true.
When the President announced which political parties would
form the Government, violence broke out in Dili, Baucau and
Viqueque. Many houses were burned; many families fled from
their homes with their children to hide in the forests. Once again,
children suffered because they were not protected from the cold
and diseases, and they suffered from lack of food and clean water.
Schools were again torched in the wake of the announcements
— it was as if the future of this nation had gone up in smoke.
Again, we ask “Where is the peace?” Perhaps peace is indeed just
a dream. When will the dream for children to live freely, study
in safe environments, live in their own homes and be loved from
their parents be realised?
In order to transform their children’s dream to reality, parents can
start by creating peace within the family. Parents should love each
other and their children while children should love their parents.
Love that begins from the family will spread to the communities,
schools and elsewhere. If we grow love within the family and
community, we can maintain peace in every Timorese’s heart.
With love and peace, people can live harmoniously and
development can be achieved. This nation can then become
strong with healthy, educated children who are well-prepared to
welcome their future.
Antonio Gomes is Communication Officer with UNICEF Timor-Leste.
angomez@unicef.org
15
THE PRESIDENT’S
VIEWS
During the presidential
campaigns, he called himself the
President of the Poor, promising
to advocate for those in poverty,
and for the young. Now elected as
President, Dr José Ramos-Horta
shares his thoughts with youth
journalists Maria Martins and
Maria do Ceu in a brief interview.
Excerpts follow:

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Vas
Interview translated from the Tetum.
Edited by Bridgette See

Maria do Ceu: As ‘President of the Poor’ what are
your thoughts on children on the streets, and those
who are unable to receive good quality education?
President José Ramos-Horta: Many of the
children on the street have no homes
because they are poor, while others have
run away due to domestic violence. There
are those who are orphans and have no
relatives willing to take care of them. This
makes me really sad and has spurred me
to pay more attention to their situation.
I’ve spoken to the new Prime Minister and
previous Prime Minister Dr Alkatiri many
times for the Government to pay more
attention to these children, as well as to
allocate more money to help them.
Maria Martins: Timor-Leste ratified the CRC on 10th
December 2002. As President, how do you think we
can implement the CRC well?
JRH: In 2002, Timor-Leste ratified all seven
human rights treaties. This was unique
because not many countries have ratified
all seven at one time. As signatories to
these treaties, we are obliged to submit
reports to the human rights committee
in United Nations. The process of writing
the report will show us what has not been
done right, and how we can improve our
laws or programmes in implementing the
CRC. [But] there is no country in the
world that can resolve all the problems in
just five years. When the nation became
independent, everyone dreamt of going
to school, but it’s impossible for the
Government to accomplish everything in
five years. Many schools have no water or
books while children sit on the floor during
classes. The quality of our teachers also has
to be improved therefore the Government
needs to pay urgent attention to this issue.
Many children are also victims of domestic
violence. Both the current and previous
governments are concerned about this but
this will take time to resolve.
Do Ceu: During the National Children’s Day
celebrations at Delta Nova on 1 June 2007, the
children asked the government to re-establish the

16 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE


Maria de Ceu (extreme right) and Maria Martins interview the President in his office at Caicoli
Student Parliament. As President, how do you think
this can be realised?
JRH: As the President, I can present
recommendations and ideas to the
Government but I am not the one who
will carry out the programme or to
provide the budget. I have raised the
idea of establishing a youth parliament
as well and this has been accepted by the
Government. I hope that UNICEF, UN,
or other experts can help to develop this
idea further. Let’s see if this can start in
2008 or in 2009 because it does take time
to set up a youth parliament. I think this
is important for youth development as it
gives them the opportunity to express their
opinions and dreams. Another advantage
is that it will also help us to develop new
leaders because as parliamentarians, the
youth will have to debate and research on
many issues.
Do Ceu: What about your plans for youth
scholarships?
JRH: I’ve spoken strongly about scholarships
2008
and Prime Minister Xanana has agreed to
discuss with his Government how this
can be established. The Government has
not made a concrete decision as it still
has to allocate a budget for it in 2008.
The previous Government did not give
any student scholarships except some
ad hoc help for needy children through
the previous Ministry of Labour and
Community Re-insertion. I have spoken
about the need to establish scholarships for
tertiary students who are overseas. Many
Timorese students now study in Indonesia
but they don’t study well because of the
lack of food and accommodation. As for
national scholarships, I think those in
the rural villages should be prioritised.
The scholarships are not typical ones that
pay for school fees as education is free in
Timor-Leste. The scholarships will assist
families, not students. We can’t help every
child in every family, but we can help
the family, for example, by giving $50 a
month to mothers to pay for transport,
food, water, books, clothes, etc.
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Vas
Martins: On a final note, do you have any message for
the children?
JRH: I can say that there is no political party
in the Government that does not empathise
with the situation of children in Timor.
All of us have children, grandchildren,
or nieces and nephews; we were all once
children. Many of us [leaders] also faced
difficulties when we were young. When I
was in Soibada, we ate corn everyday; we
had no water and no clothes. That’s why we
can understand their plight. We’re not just
paying lip service but we really recognise
that children are the future of the nation.
In 10 or 20 years, the two of you could
be the President, the Prime Minister, a
business woman, a scientist, but for this
to happen, you will first need good health.
The Government has to focus on providing
water and food, as well as to establish better
schools. We will work towards resolving
these challenges in the coming five years.
Maria Martins and Maria do Ceu are from Saint
Joseph College’s journalism club Jornal Parede.
17
 Snapshots
Unite for
Children and Youth
Martine Perret/UNMIT
Y
oung people play a vital role
in ensuring the stability and
development of Timor-Leste
– a fact that is clear to the United
Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste
(UNMIT).The Special Representative of
the Secretary-General (SRSG) in Timor-
Leste, Atul Khare, said that with 1 in
every 2 Timorese under 18 years of age,
children are especially important for the
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2006/See
“C
hildren are vulnerable and can
be easily abused; it is difficult
for them to defend their rights.
They are also our precious
resources for development which we
need to take care of, therefore I believe
that we need to protect their rights in an
integrated way. I defend any initiatives
to discuss the problems of children and
youth, so that we can better understand
their lives, and their basic needs in
relation to education, health, justice and
other social conditions. It will be the
duty of the Government, civil society,
NGOs and communities to work
together for children; this will help us
to achieve the progress and development
objectives that this country has outlined.
The Government guarantees that basic
education is free and that all children
can go to school, especially those in the
rural areas. We will also take measures
18
future of the nation. Thus, children are a
priority for UNMIT in its work to restore
and maintain stability, and to seek political
and economic solutions to the complex
social problems that led to the 2006 crisis.
“We have seen operationally successful
and politically accepted elections that
enjoyed a high female voter participation
rate of 47 per cent. Many of these women
are mothers, and their active political
“
We must ensure that
justice for children
is appropriate,
independent and
specialised.”
to approve the legislation to protect
children’s interests, and advocate that
youths are not manipulated by adults,
especially in politics. Justice is like a pillar
that guarantees the rights of everyone, so
we must ensure that justice for children is
appropriate, independent and specialised.
In order to draw young people closer to
society and to imbibe values of dialogue,
tolerance and ethics, we have to promote
activities that enrich their creativity, such
as through arts, culture, sports, and open
spaces for them to express and develop
themselves. These activities will contribute
to the good character development of the
youth, and prevent them from falling
into crime. Our independent nation was
achieved with much sacrifice from the
children. It is time now to repay them
for their sufferings, so as to defend their
dignity and give hope to them.”
- Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão
participation will set a strong example
for their children,” said Khare. From an
economic perspective, the SRSG pointed
out that professional education and
vocational training are priorities for the
UN and the Government of Timor-Leste,
in order to overcome skill shortages in a
number of professions and vocations that
are essential to nation building. “It is the
children of this country that are the future
of Timor-Leste and it is the future of these
young people that the UN and its agencies
work to develop and protect,” Khare said.
UNMIT will continue working with the
Government and the youth of Timor-Leste
on key priorities to enhance the welfare,
health and education of all children.
“T
he Government is committed
to reform the education
system by increasing the
quality of education and
equity of access for all Timorese. This
means more schools will be built and
more teachers trained to meet the needs
of our growing population. By the end of
this Government’s mandate, all Timorese
should enjoy nine years of compulsory
and free primary and pre-secondary
education. The new primary school
curriculum will be fully implemented in
2008 while pre-secondary and secondary
curricula will follow shortly. The Ministry
also intends to expand technical and
vocational education by establishing more
institutions with training courses tailored
to the current workplace and economic
climate in Timor-Leste.
To ensure that our students receive
a standard of education compatible to
others in the region, schools at all levels of
education will be accredited according to
a government license system. Education
was identified by the Timorese people as
their highest priority in the consultation
conducted for the National Development
Plan in 2002. Education is also a very high
in priority in other developing nations
where poverty is widespread. Thus our
hope is that more and more Timorese will
become educated through our new and
developing system in order to pull Timor-
Leste out of poverty.”
- Education Minister João Cancio Freitas
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
 Profile

BRINGING DOWN New UNICEF

Representative steps

THE BARRIERS
up to the challenge
to remove hurdles for
Timorese children.

J
un Kukita has worn many ‘hats’ as
he moved up the ranks in UNICEF
– from an assistant programme
officer, to a senior fund raising
officer, and now as the Representative
of the Timor-Leste office. Through the
Kukita is confident to take on the challenge
of heading the UNICEF office. He is
no stranger to humanitarian response
having worked on the resettlement of
refugees in newly independent Namibia
during the ‘90s. There he was involved
have to be addressed, and this will take
time,” he says.
Kukita, who arrived in late September,
thinks the country’s top priority should
be on maternal and child health. “The
maternal mortality ratio and child

course of his work, Kukita has travelled
widely from the sunny islands of
Maldives, to flood-prone Bangladesh,
and to cosmopolitan New York. Now,
after 21 years of globetrotting, the
Japanese national says he “feels very much
at home” in Timor-Leste as he is finally
back in Southeast Asia – a region he had
travelled extensively in as a young man.
“I like the food, the sea, and the rice
paddies,” he says, the corners of his eyes
crinkling as he smiled broadly. Kukita,
who speaks a bit of Indonesian, is now
picking up Portuguese with the help
of language tapes, and Tetum using
UNICEF’s basic literacy manual Hakat
Ba Oin (Step Forward).
With a host of different experiences,
“
in participatory community mortality rate are one of the
development projects in rural
and urban areas.
People’s highest in the world,” he says.
“We have to look at this urgently.”
“One day [in Namibia] I minds Also of concern is the quality of
was talking to a woman leader, have to be basic education and the need for
she said ‘We have just been freed healed.” more attention on young people.
from apartheid but women are He says 2008 will be an
still under another sort of apartheid – that important year for UNICEF to plan
of discrimination which is deeply rooted for its five-year programme cycle (2009
in our social structure – so our struggle – 2013). This will coincide with the new
continues,’” he recounts. “Hence, the Government’s National Development
slogan ‘A luta continua’ (‘The struggle Plan for the next five years.
continues’) is also commonly used there “I hope that through our work, we will
by the women.” remove the threats, the poverty, and the
Another thing in common is the need abuse which prevent Timorese children
for psychosocial support. “People’s minds from achieving their best,” he says. “Unless
have to be healed – the fear, anger, and we take out the hurdles, this country can’t
distress after long years of suppression develop to its full potential.”

2008 19
Adolescents and HIV/AIDS

“IT’S TIME TO TALK”

ABOUT
Timor-Leste’s
SEX AND HIV
first nationwide
HIV/AIDS
campaign urges
young people to
find out more
and to take
action.

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
A group of energetic youth participate in a campaign event in Dili
By Bridgette See

I
n Timor-Leste, ‘eggplants’ and
‘flowers’ have become handy code
names for HIV educators when
referring to the genitals. This, they
say, makes it less awkward to talk about
sexual reproduction and HIV with young
people.
“Initially some of the young people
were angry [to talk about genitals], they
said it was immoral to mention those terms
in public,” said Domingos dos Santos,
from local NGO Fundasaun Timor Harii.
He and colleague Amelia Carlos train
young people to be HIV peer educators -
an activity supported by UNICEF.
Amelia Carlos said that only a few
young people from each of her sessions
really know their own bodies, and about
sexually-transmitted infections.
“When we show the models of the
genitals, they’re so shy. The girls hide
behind their hands, while the boys tend to
joke a lot,” she said.
But Timor-Leste cannot avoid talking
about sex or HIV any longer. Over the
years, the number of reported HIV cases
has increased, from 7 in 2002, to 43 at the
end of 2006. 11 have died so far, on this
island of less than a million people.
The seemingly small number of known
HIV cases may only be the tip of the
iceberg, as Voluntary and Confidential
Counselling and Testing (VCCT) for HIV
is currently limited to 3 service outlets in
Dili and thus is still not widely accessible
to most, especially outside Dili.
In June, a refreshingly bold campaign
led by the Ministry of Health urged young
people to find out more about HIV/AIDS
and more importantly, to take preventive
action. With its slogan “It’s time to talk”
the three-month campaign was carried
out in all 13 districts, with the support
of UNICEF. HIV trainings, parades,
and outreach provided information, and

20 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE


UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
encouraged young people to find out more
on how they can protect themselves from
HIV infection.
“This campaign is viewed by UNICEF
as a very important first line action to
break the silence about HIV and AIDS,”
said Bridget Job-Johnson, UNICEF
Adolescents and HIV/AIDS Specialist.
“This will fulfil the right of young people
of Timor-Leste to accurate information
about HIV/AIDS so they could take
informed decision.”
She added, “Young people form a
big proportion of the Timor population.
Experience from across the world has
2008
A volunteer helps out an
<
event, wearing a hat strung
with condoms
< A young man reads the
campaign’s brochure to find
out more about HIV/AIDS
which is rarely discussed in
Timor-Leste until recently
proven that young people are particularly
vulnerable to HIV infection for many
reasons.”
27-year-old Rosario (not his real
name) is one of the many young people
who actively participated in the national
campaign. He discovered he was HIV
positive a year ago while studying in
Indonesia. He thinks he may have
contracted the virus when he experimented
with drugs and acquired tattoos using
shared needles. Rosario volunteered in
the HIV campaign workforce to share as
much information as possible to prevent
others from getting infected.
Adolescents and HIV/AIDS
“I think the campaign is so important
for people like me who are positive,” he
said. “So many of us don’t have clear
information about HIV/AIDS and are
scared.”
At a public event, Rosario went onstage
to sing some comical songs that tickled the
crowd. Cheerful, healthy and energetic,
he gave no indication that he was HIV
positive, although he would have to bear
the burden of living with the virus for the
rest of his life. This may also be the case of
many young people who have not tested
for HIV, and are unaware of their status.
“I want to encourage people who are
positive to get treatment and information,
and I hope others would stay away from
risky sexual behaviour or use drugs with
shared needles,” Rosario said.
As part of the campaign, 80 Master
Trainers were trained to conduct HIV
training for 1,525 campaign volunteers,
who would in turn pass on the
information to 40,000 youths in their
communities.
According to a baseline survey
conducted as part of the campaign
strategy, 61% of 1,097 youth surveyed said
they had heard of HIV/AIDS. Although
the awareness is high, the lack of accurate
knowledge is still a major concern; for
instance, half of the young people who
had heard about HIV believed insect bites
could spread the virus.
Young people are also already engaging
in sexually-risky behaviours. In the survey,
39% said they have had sexual intercourse,
with six out of ten having their first
encounter between 15-19 years old. More
than half had unprotected sex, and more
than one sexual partner.
Key steps towards HIV prevention
are being taken in Timor-Leste with on
going efforts from the Government and its
partners. The campaign, as one of the key
steps, is helping to break the silence and
desensitise HIV/AIDS discussions.
At the Dili district campaign launch,
two volunteers distributed red ribbons
and campaign buttons while wearing
hats adorned with condoms — a rare but
encouraging sign of increasing acceptance
to the use of condoms to prevent HIV
transmission.
21
Child Protection

A RAY OF
SUNSHINE Child-friendly police station opens in Dili
to reach out to vulnerable children.
By Bridgette See & Lauren Rumble

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Leonardi

Brightening up the police station

with colourful scenes

F
or any child, stepping into a
police station can be a daunting
experience. But in Dili, officers from
the Vulnerable Persons’ Unit (VPU)
of the Timorese Police are offering a
warm welcome, together with an outdoor
playground and a child-friendly interview
room.
“Before, we had to work harder to put
the children at ease, but now, with the
toys, crayons and books, the children feel
more comfortable to talk to us,” said VPU
officer Natercia Babo de Jesus.
In early August, the Dili VPU was a
hive of activity as police officers, UNICEF
staff, and children from various groups
came together to paint and decorate the
police station. Very quickly, cheerful
scenes of animals, flowers, stars and moon,
and the sea filled the walls; multi-coloured
handprints by the children also appeared
on the centre’s exterior walls.
Inside the interview room, a large
mural depicting UNICEF Timor-Leste’s
Marta icon added a rainbow of colours.
This room, together with toys and drawing
materials from UNICEF, will allow
police officers to interview child victims,
witnesses and alleged juvenile offenders
in a warm and caring environment. Most
victims of abuse are too ashamed or too
afraid to report complaints; the child-
friendly police station aims to address this
problem.
“We train the VPU officers to relax the
child and establish trust before starting
any interviews by talking about things of
interest or to engage in play or drawing,”
said Ann Linnarsson, UNICEF Child
Protection Officer, “so this child-friendly
room is the perfect place to get the
investigations off to a good start.”
UNICEF has been working with the
VPU since 2004. This unit, comprising
national police officers and UN police
officers, specialises in investigating gender-
based violence and other crimes against
women and children. UNICEF has
provided training on child rights, child-
friendly investigation techniques, and laws
and procedures in the justice system. This
year, UNICEF provided legal and other
technical guidance to the VPU to finalise
Rules of Procedures for cases involving
children in line with international and
Timorese laws and frameworks.
“When I was painting alongside a boy,

22 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

 Child Protection

<
The first child-friendly police station in Timor-Leste brings smiles
to children who attended its official opening in August

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Leonardi
A VPU officer, alongside a young boy, adds colour to the Marta
mural in the child-friendly interview room

This August, just as the child-friendly

room was opened, numerous children
in the eastern districts of Baucau and
Viqueque were once again exposed to
violence, including rape, after the new
government was announced.
Martine Perret/UNMIT

“Women and children are the primary

he asked if this was a children’s prison,”
remarked UNICEF Child Protection
Specialist Lauren Rumble. This was
because most Timorese know only of the
children’s prison and have never
seen a child-friendly police
to me, eat and play with toys… so that I
can play together with other children to
forget our trauma and difficulties.” For
Zaquel Pinto, 13, “this is a happy place.”
Happy places are what
Timorese children yearn for
victims of violence and conflict in Timor-
Leste. VPU officers are the frontline
defence for their protection, to facilitate
access to care and support services, and to
help victims pursue their right to justice,”
said Rumble. “The VPU is a valuable
resource to the people of Timor-Leste
and must be provided with the necessary
human and financial resources to continue
their important work.”

“
station like this one. right now. Since April 2006, UNICEF is currently supporting
“We will support
other VPUs in the
When I was painting the country has had to deal
with outbreaks of violence;
the Government to assess the VPU’s
management and operations so that its
districts to establish alongside a boy, thousands of children services can be further improved. The
similar child-friendly he asked if this was have been affected by UNICEF Child Protection Programme
police stations,” said a children’s prison.” widespread population aims to build a protective environment
Rumble. displacement, while many at national and community levels. This
Lauren Rumble
The welcoming were recruited into armed includes scaled-up technical support to
atmosphere earned the groups or gangs. More than a Government and Police to help realise
thumbs-up from the children who year later, large numbers are still children’s right to justice and provide
helped to decorate the place. 12-year-old living in displacement camps and host timely support services to child victims,
Francisca Amaral said, “I hope I can come communities, lacking proper health, water, which will require approximately US$1
to the police station to tell what happened sanitation and education. million.

2008 23
Education

Rairema’s parents:
“I
t’s really amazing,” exclaimed
Jorge Mouzinho, UNICEF Senior

MAKING
Programme Assistant for Education.
“The last time I came, the floor
wasn’t covered with cement; there was no
partition… now there’s a divider. I’m very
happy, [it’s] really out of my imagination,”

A DIFFERENCE
he said, shaking his head in wonder.
This was in May when we had just
arrived at Rairema Primary School, after
a bone-rattling ride from Aileu district

WITH LOVE
centre. Geographically, Aileu is right
in the centre of Timor-Leste, hence its
nickname ‘rai husar’ or navel of the land.
As Mouzinho spoke, he walked from
one room to the other, paying attention
to the workmanship, nodding his head
in approval. This simply furnished hut
was the principal’s office; Mouzinho had
visited the site three months ago when
By Bridgette See work had just begun.

24 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

 UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
Education

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
To keep the children’s attention, teachers intersperse lessons with action songs
<

The garden is an important part of the

and activities school, as it supplements the food from
< A mother shows off the fruits of their labour which will be used to supplement
the children’s mid-day meal prepared at the school
the WFP school feeding programme. The
parents have banded together to grow
nutritious crops such as pumpkins, corn,
Next door, another brand new hut now friendly atmosphere for teachers, children bananas, red beans, soya beans, potatoes,
serves as a kitchen. A parent volunteer was and parents. PTAs allow families to cucumbers, yam and tapioca. They are
busy preparing a meal for the students, support their schools and teachers through blessed with a nearby spring that keeps the
using the corn-soy blend flour given by the a variety of activities ranging from physical garden well-watered.
World Food Programme (WFP). work to volunteering to teach at schools. “Instead of giving money, it’s better
What thrilled Mouzinho most was Today at Rairema, a group of parents that we contribute our labour,” said
that both huts were built by parents and have gathered and were listening to Domingas Correira, a mother of three.
teachers of the school. The cement was principal Soares. He thanked them School fees were abolished in 2006 when
purchased with funds from the Education for coming and listed the tasks ahead: the Government declared free public
Ministry while most of the timber was rebuilding the school fence and preparing education for all students in Timor-Leste.
supplied by principal, Jose Pacheco Soares, the school garden for new crops. Everyday, parent volunteers prepare a
himself. Soon after, the mothers picked up their mid-day meal so that the students could
This is just one reason why Rairema hoes and went down to the slope behind walk home with a full stomach. Some of
Primary has earned itself a reputation of the school where the garden was. They them, said the principal, live nearly five
having a cohesive and proactive Parent began yanking out weeds, roots and dried kilometres away, taking up to two hours
Teacher Association (PTA). The PTA here crops to clear the way for new ones to be to get home.
was set up in 2004 as part of UNICEF’s planted. Over at the front of the school, the
Child Friendly Schools project. The “Here,” said a mother, “this is forekeli, fathers were busy taking apart an old
project, which involves 712 schools in the bean we use to make tempe (a local school fence and clearing the grass in the
Timor-Leste, aims to promote effective and dish).” She held out a stalk to me, showing area.
enjoyable learning in schools by creating a me the white beans inside. Domingos Mourao, a father of three,

2008 25
 Education
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
explained that there is a system of rotation
among the parents so “the next invitation
[to work] will be for another group of
parents.”
Despite the searing heat, both groups
of parents were in high spirits; raucous
laughter and giggles could be heard
occasionally. They also seemed to have
strong rapport with the principal.
“I was a village chief during Indonesian
time,” Soares explained. “It was a period
of clandestine resistance so trust was
built during that time. I still lived with
the community for five years after
independence and only just left to become
the school principal here so [the parents]
have continued to trust me.”
This trust and solidarity have given
Soares ample social capital to build a
proactive PTA. Most of the parents seemed
to have gotten his message that “teachers
may move elsewhere but mom and dad’s
good work will remain here.”
On the school grounds were three
wooden huts that were built by the villagers
in 2002 to serve as community centres.
But as student numbers increased and the
concrete school building ran out of space,
the villagers have allowed the huts to be
transformed into classrooms.
“Previously, there were two grades
26
“ Instead of giving
money, it’s better
that we contribute
our labour. ”
Domingas Correira
sharing one room, with the blackboard
split in half,” said Soares. Now, the students
from Grades 1 to 3 are in the wooden
huts; receiving undivided attention from
their teachers.
To keep the children’s attention,
teachers intersperse lessons with action
songs and activities - an example of how
a UNICEF child-friendly school makes
learning active and enjoyable. The wooden
walls were thin, so the children’s bright
voices permeated through, giving a lively
feel to the school.
After a couple of hours, the fathers were
now putting in the new fence; it looked
much better than before, with evenly cut
logs, uniform height, and a sturdier feel.
“We work so that our children can go
to school so that they can become smart,”
said Antonio Tilman, a father of six.
Mourao nodded in agreement, “We
want to display a good example to our
children so that when they grow up, they
< Principal Jose Soares (far right)
stands outside his office as he
speaks to parents who have
come to help out
Fathers installing a new fence
that will protect the school
garden
<
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
would do the same.”
At lunch time, the principal invited
us to share a simple meal. The parent
volunteers had prepared a traditional dish
called batar fai, a nutritious soup boiled
from a mixture of soya beans, corn, red
bean, pumpkin and pumpkin leaves. They
had also steamed sweet potatoes as a side
dish. The entire meal was made from the
fruits of their labour — from the school
garden.
When the meal was over, the mothers
sat on a grass slope overlooking the school
field. Their children who had finished
school were kicking football and playing
volleyball. With the towering mountains
behind and the blue sky above, the scene
was an idyllic one.
“This school is really an example of
how parents can make a difference,” said
Mouzinho, “that is why I hope other
schools and parents will be inspired by
their story.”
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
Devoted A look at what other parents in Aileu are doing
for their children

Side by Side
“If we want to work fast, we [the men parents would start planting
and women] have to work together,” said food crops to supplement
Amelia Tilman, as she began stripping a school meals. “We can plant
tree trunk of its bark efficiently with a some vegetables here, and
machete. Usually in Timor-Leste, there the animals won’t be able
would be a division of labour when men to enter,” said Madelena
and women gathered to work: the women Fatima, 35. She was helping
would cook or tend the garden while out despite having to care
the men took on traditionally masculine for six children at home. The
tasks such as sawing, felling timber presence of the adults did not
and carpentry. But here at Lisimori go unnoticed by the children.
Primary School, which is in the Laulara “I feel good because I know
sub-district of Aileu, men and women my father loves me that’s why

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
were working shoulder-to-shoulder he came today,” said 12-year-
to fell trees and construct a school old Irene da Silva.
fence. Once the area is fenced up, the

Supporting one another

When it rains, it pours in Mantane village.
The torrential afternoon showers would
flood the river, making it dangerous for
children to return home after school. That
is why parents and teachers of Mantane
Primary School decided to construct an
extension building so that all the students
could study in the morning. “Right now,
we have 300 children but only three
classrooms so we can’t accommodate
them all,” explained school principal
Jose Pinheiro. With some funds from
the Education Ministry, the parents
constructed the walls with the bark of
palm trees, cemented the floor, and
covered the roof with zinc plates. They
also built the doors and windows, and
repaired broken chairs and tables. “For
those who don’t have regular day jobs,
they contribute their labour. Others have
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
hive of activity, as the children played
in the dusty schoolyard, while the men
hammered away. In the kitchen, the
mothers and female teachers were busy
preparing a simple meal from bananas,
sweet potatoes, and corn for all the
helpers. “I’ll go back to tell my mother
what my father did in school today,”
said Class 5 student Juana Mendoca,
15. “I feel happy to contribute because
it is our own area, in our own village,”
said parent Mario Viera, who was the
previous president of the Mantane PTA.
“We want to participate more because
it’s good for our children’s future.”
Before we left, a villager pointed out that
Mantane’s name was derived from two
words: ‘maun’ and ‘tane’ which means
to ‘support your brother’ in the Tetum
Terik language. From their enthusiasm,

contributed cement and zinc plates for it was clear this solidarity does exist in
the school,” added Pinheiro. There was a Mantane village.

2008 27
Communication
TUNING IN
TO CHILDREN
D
A UNICEF radio uring the Indonesian occupation
of Timor-Leste, I was a radio
programme gives the journalist with Radio Timor
Kmanek, a church-run radio
young an avenue to station in Dili. Back then, we hardly heard
express the ‘voices’ or the opinions of children in
the media but in recent years, their voices
have become louder and clearer.
Dominggus Monemnasi shares For example in Oecusse, the children
his experience. share what they know through the Labarik
Nia Lian (LNL) or Voices of Children
programme which is produced at the
local community radio station, Atoni
Lifau’s Voice. The station is named after a
monument at Lifau where the Portuguese
first landed on Timor Island in 1515.
Every Sunday evening, Oecusse
residents get to hear what the children
This article was translated from the Tetum. have produced. This is still something
28
new for both the young and also the
community as the programme only began
in 2005 with support from UNICEF.
LNL, which is produced by children
under 18, gives them an avenue to
participate and to express their thoughts.
Children can use the airwaves to discuss
issues that affect their lives and future.
Currently, UNICEF works with eight
radio stations in seven districts to run
this programme (Lospalos, Viqueque,
Manatuto, Aileu, Liquiça, Oecusse and
Dili) and continues to look for opportunity
to introduce it to the other districts.
The children’s editorial team at Atoni
Lifau station comprises 18 children
ranging from ages 11 to 18. Devia da
Costa joined the team in January 2006.
“I want to become a journalist. I always
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
 UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Setyanto
Oecusse resident Donzilio Ribeiro,
45, feels the programme has benefited his
daughter greatly after listening to her on
radio. “Before joining the radio team, my
daughter was so shy to talk to people and
her Tetum was not so good. But now…she
can talk to people and speak Tetum better
than me,” says Ribeiro.
Nina Riberio is one of the two adult
volunteers at the station who provide
technical assistance and training to the
children. “As a facilitator, I have to be with
the children constantly even though they
have received a lot of training already. Some
of them just need more time to understand,
while others are fast,” she says.
What Riberio finds most challenging
is to use the right language and method
to teach the children so that they can
understand her more easily. She often
encourages the children that “when they
become journalists, they cannot be shy.”
The children from LNL do not just
learn how to produce radio programmes in
the studio but they also spend time looking
for information in the community.
In September 2005, I followed two
children from the Viqueque LNL team
to sub-district Uato-lari when UNICEF
commissioned a short film documentary
Two girls from the Oecusse children’s editorial team on LNL. I accompanied them to the fields
record a segment for the weekly Labarik Nia Lian
programme
talk to my friends to tell them more
about journalism,” she says. “I also go to
primary schools to invite other children
to participate because they often just sit at
home with nothing to do after school.”
Through her participation, Devia
has learnt to speak in public, to conduct
community research, and also to convince
other children that it is important for all
boys and girls to go to school. Now, at 11,
she is already able to produce a programme
on her own - without having to wait till
she is a grown-up to be a journalist.
Her friend Lucas da Costa Pereira,
15, says, “I feel happy because I can get
a lot of experience on how to prepare the
script and produce programmes, conduct
interviews and to create radio dramas.
These skills are not taught in school.”
2008
Communication
where they saw farmers using traditional
methods to thresh their rice. Here,
the children interviewed them on the
importance of sending their children to
school.
We also attended a ritual for an uma
lulik or traditional Timorese sacred house.
I was really proud of the children when
I saw how they were able to participate
in the ceremony and, during this sacred
ritual, were still able to interview the lia
nain uma tradisional (the sacred house’s top
leader) on children’s education. The young
reporters asked some tough questions;
they wanted to know if such ceremonies
could impede children’s right to education
as parents often set aside large amounts of
money for these sacred rites.
The 2006 crisis disrupted some LNL
programmes but all the participating
stations have since revived it. Two more
radio stations in Dili, Radio Rakambia
and Radio Timor Kmanek, also joined us
in 2007 to give children more avenues to
express their opinions and to participate in
the media.
Dominggus Monemnasi used to be known as
‘Indra’ on the airwaves. He is now UNICEF
Senior Communication Assistant overseeing
the LNL project. dmonemnasi@unicef.org
Dominggus Monemnasi (left) with the young journalists
of Oecusse’s community radio station
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Setyanto
29
Health: Immunisation
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
W
hen Celestinha Gomes
delivered her fifth child
Adelino in July 2007, she
thought he was a healthy,
normal baby. Ten days later,
her happiness turned to horror when
Adelino’s mouth stiffened up and he could
not suckle from her breast. When Adelino
broke into a high fever his mother knew
that something was very wrong and rushed
him to the Dili National Hospital.
“When Adelino came to the hospital,
his back stiffened up, as well as his legs
and arms,” recounted 33-year-old Gomes.
“I was so scared; I thought he was going
to die.”
Adelino was showing the common
signs of a tetanus infection, with the
locked jaw and stiffness in his body.
Hospital staff rushed to rescue him with
medicine and oxygen to help him to
breathe. Luckily, the infant survived the
ordeal.
30
“Based on the delay of the onset of his
symptoms, the baby probably had a minor
infection, and was very lucky to survive,”
said Dr Francois Gasse, UNICEF Senior
Project Officer for Immunisation.
“In countries where babies are delivered
at homes, they’ll be born and then die
without the health system knowing it,”
he said. This is why tetanus is dubbed
a ‘silent’ killer, and some countries,
including Timor-Leste, have scant records
of newborns dying from tetanus.
About six cases of newborn tetanus
are reported here each year, but the low
numbers are misleading. Timor-Leste is
one of the 42 countries in the world yet to
eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus
(MNT).
Dr Gasse, who is based in New York,
was in Timor-Leste recently to work with
UNICEF Immunisation Specialist Dr Yin Baby Adelino dos Santos recuperating in the Dili
Yin Aung to draw up an action plan for National Hospital in August after being treated for
tetanus
tetanus. Due to his global work to stem
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
 STOPPING
A SILENT
KILLER
How tetanus can be
eliminated by 2009
with an affordable
Dr Gasse and Dr Aung (middle) visit the
Comoro health clinic in Dili to find out
vaccine.
more about the demand for tetanus toxoid
By Bridgette See
vaccinations at the facility
tetanus, he has become widely known as
‘Dr Tetanus.’
“I hate tetanus. I should really be called
Dr Anti-Tetanus,” he protested, with a
laugh. But he became serious quickly
again, to explain how tetanus can never
be completely eradicated because its spores
are found in dirt, soil or dung – literally
everywhere.
When babies are born in unclean
conditions, tetanus spores can enter the
umbilical cord stump, leading to infection
and death in more than 70% of cases.
For rural homebirths in Timor-Leste, it is
common practice to sever the cord with a
razor blade, tie it up with string, and then
dry it with hot ash — unhygienic practices
that can lead to tetanus infection. In baby
Adelino’s case, his mother had used a pair
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
of unclean scissors to cut his umbilical
cord.
Yet tetanus can be easily prevented: it
only costs about US$1.20 to immunise a
2008
Health: Immunisation
woman with three doses of tetanus toxoid
vaccine. This protects her and any babies
born to her for up to 10 years.
“Here, there is only one district
Manatuto that has a high coverage of
tetanus toxoid with more than 90% of
the women covered,” explained Dr. Aung.
“We must have all women vaccinated to
effectively protect newborns.”
In Lautem district, there is a central
health centre and many health posts where
women can go for their antenatal checks
and receive the tetanus vaccine. There is
also an NGO that conducts mobile visits
to more remote villages. But still, there are
at least 40% of women in Lautem who are
never reached.
Furthermore, despite on-going efforts
to encourage women to deliver at hospitals
or with midwife assistance, more than
70% of all babies in Timor-Leste are still
delivered in unclean conditions. This
happens not just in remote villages but
even in the city Dili.
Take Celestinha Gomes who lives only
20 minutes from the National Hospital.
She delivered at home because her husband
was at work and there was no one to care
for her four children.
Immunisation is hence critical.
According to the World Health
Organisation, an estimated 50,000
newborns have been saved from
tetanus since 2000, thanks to aggressive
immunisation activities taking place
globally.
UNICEF is thus proposing to work
with the Health Ministry to launch a series
of Supplemental Immunisation Activities
(SIAs) to immunise up to 80% of all
women of child-bearing age. If the SIAs
begin in early 2008, Timor-Leste could
eliminate MNT by 2009.
“At the same time, the health service
must continue to improve routine tetanus
vaccinations for pregnant women,” said
Dr Aung. “We must also encourage more
women to deliver at hospitals or at least
have the help of qualified mid-wives to
deliver their babies in safe conditions.
Lastly, we have to monitor and keep tab
on the incidents of newborn tetanus.”
31
 Marta goes on
new adventures
in 2008, helping
to keep children
healthy and
protected.

32 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE


UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
Going nuts
U
NICEF, CONCERN International
and the Ministry of Health
are literally going nuts - over
malnutrition. They plan to
introduce a high-energy therapeutic food
made of peanut paste to the Manufahi
district in 2008. This is the pilot phase of a
new project on community-based care for
acutely malnourished children. Previously
all severe cases had to be hospitalized;
this often resulted in early discharge for
a variety of complex reasons, like other
family responsibilities or limited facility
space, posed by the lengthy stay. Now,
with community-based care, severely
2008
Liquid gold
malnourished children without medical
complications can be cared for at home, by
their parents. They are monitored weekly
on an out-patient basis while receiving
treatment for up to three months. The
children will receive packets of the high-
energy food which is made of peanut
paste, vegetable fat, dry skimmed milk,
sugars, minerals and vitamins. It is fuss
free — just rip open and eat — so there is
no need for trained health staff to prepare
or any risk of contamination. When the
child’s condition improves, he or she moves
onto a supplementary feeding programme.
Parents will also receive nutrition
education during the treatment period, so
they will learn how to prepare nutritious
meals and also practice breastfeeding.
Snapshots
T
oo shy to breastfeed in public?
Not for a group of Timorese
women who proudly came
together on August 4th to
breastfeed their babies all at the same
time. The synchronised event, which
was flagged off by representatives from
UNICEF, Alola Foundation and the
Ministry of Health, marked the annual
World Breastfeeding Week (1-8 August).
For 2007, the key message was that
breastfeeding within one hour of birth
can save lives. “Far too few women in
Timor-Leste have an appreciation of the
huge benefits, emotional and nutritional,
of early initiation of breastfeeding,” said
Kirsty Sword-Gusmão, founder of Alola
Foundation. “We can change this, and
hence dramatically improve the chances
of survival of our newborns, through
education and information alone.” This
includes educating families about the great
value of colostrums (first flow of yellow
milk) which have natural goodness like
antibodies and proteins to give babies
their first boost of immunity. So mothers
– instead of discarding the colostrums,
make sure your baby drinks this liquid
gold from your breast as soon as he or she
is born!
This is a long term solution to stem the
cycle of malnutrition. Currently Timor-
Leste has one of the highest prevalence of
malnutrition in Asia Pacific; about 1 in
every 2 children (below five years of age)
suffers from malnutrition.
33
Health: Nutrition
TAKING HEALTH IN OUR
Timor-Leste
kicks off its pilot
community
health volunteer
programme.
By Bridgette See
T
he raw, rugged beauty of Timor-
Leste greets any visitor flying
into the country. Innumerable
mountain folds — sometimes
lush green, sometimes brittle brown —
cover most parts of the small island state.
This beautiful yet forbidding terrain poses
severe challenges, especially in terms of
health care, for its people.
“In a remote village of Aileu district,
I once met a family who had six of their
nine children die before reaching five years
of age. They accepted these deaths without
questioning whether anything could have
been done to save them,” recounted
Jennifer Barak, UNICEF Child Survival
and Maternal Health Care Specialist.
34
“It was only during the woman’s ninth
pregnancy that a midwife, as part of a
mobile team, made contact with the family
and could intervene with counselling and
other health services.”
Much of Timor-Leste’s basic health
care infrastructure was destroyed during
the 1999 post-referendum violence.
Furthermore, low levels of adult literacy,
sporadic outreach services and short hours
at existing health facilities all hamper the
regular provision of health care – especially
to outlying communities.
In response, the country’s Ministry
of Health, with support from UNICEF,
has piloted the Family Health Promoters
Programme (FHPP) to create a national
network of health volunteers. Its guidelines
were formulated by the Ministry after
extensive consultation with communities,
health staff, NGOs and UNICEF.
The FHPP is based on changing
behaviour from within a community so
volunteers are recruited from their villages.
Regarded as insiders, they are expected
to gain trust more quickly and to also
understand their communities’ situation
better. By July, 433 volunteers from four
pilot districts were trained.
“Our health slogan has always been
‘Your health is in your own hands’ so we
hope that this programme will encourage
the community to really participate in
improving their own health,” said Pedro
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

OWN HANDS
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
temperatures down to 12 degrees Celsius,
even as the sun shone overhead. Here, at
4,000 feet above sea level, Liquidoe is like
many other hill communities in Timor-
Leste where villages are spread out over
large distances, and medical help is often
several hours walk away.
Volunteers like farmer Augusto Ramos,
A health volunteer from Aileu receives his certificate from
former Health Minister Dr Rui de Araujo at the official
38, from Daulala village, will be the bridge
launch of the Family Health Promoters Programme between distant medical services and their
communities from now on.
Pointing to the struggle his community
Amaral, Health Promotion Chief at the faces in addressing under nutrition and
Health Ministry. poor growth in children, Ramos said,
In July, the pilot phase of the FHPP in “The food here is enough and available;
Aileu district was launched at the Liquidoe we have corn, rice and plenty of fruits. But
Health Centre by then Health Minister Dr the parents don’t know how to prepare
Rui de Araujo. He handed over certificates appropriate food for their children.” It
to 123 volunteers who had completed their will be up to Ramos and his colleagues to
training as Family Health Promoters. inform and motivate the community on
“We still don’t have a long tradition how to meet its basic nutritional needs.
of volunteerism in our country, so today Volunteer training, which will continue
is a historic moment when we start a in the coming months, also includes birth
tradition here. We have to set an example planning and early childcare, among other
to volunteer… You can be the good health topics. Armed with knowledge,
Samaritan,” said Dr Araujo as he exhorted the Health Promoters will act as health
the largely Catholic crowd to follow the educators and behavioural change agents
Biblical example. to encourage others to adopt simple
As he spoke, blustery winds whipped disease-prevention practices.
2008
Health: Nutrition
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
Volunteer Augusto Ramos, 38, will now serve as the
bridge between distant medical services and his
community
University student Augustinha Barreto,
26, from Kotolau village revealed that
women find delivering at a health facility
daunting because they have to be away
from their families for many days, while
incurring costs too.
“Our village is far away from the health
centre,” Barreto said, “and a lot of the
women believe that it’s better to deliver at
home so we give them information about
skilled birth attendants who can help
them.”
Such advice from a fellow community
member could mean the difference
between life and death in a country where
the maternal mortality ratio is between
420 and 800 per 100,000 live births and
the infant mortality rate is 60 per 1000
live births. Additionally, every Timorese
woman delivers, on average, more than
seven babies in her lifetime and only 10
per cent of women give birth at a health
facility.
The challenge of scaling up the FHPP
to all 13 districts still lies ahead but Amaral
is optimistic, citing the enthusiastic
response from volunteers as an indication
of its future success.
35
Health: Water
WATER OF LIFE
BRINGS HOPE TO
COMMUNITIES
By Bridgette See
E
veryday before school, 12-year-old
Jose da Cunha has to complete an
important task: he walks for at
least two hours to bring 10 litres of
water back home. During the dry season,
when the water source downhill dries up,
he has to trek uphill to a spring that is
even further away.
The boy lives in Camea village which
is a 20-minute drive from the capital city
Dili. He is so near, yet so far away from
piped water. This scenario is repeated
across Timor-Leste where thousands of
children walk long distances daily to fetch
water.
“Sometimes the children have to wait
36
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
12-year-old Jose Cunha helps out in the family by
<
collecting water every morning before school
[at the source] because there are many (WASH) project that will benefit 31
people so they are late for school and skip villages in five districts. The project has
classes,” says the boy’s father, Paulo da three aims: to bring clean water to villages;
Cunha. to help each family to build toilets; and
Currently, only half of Timor’s rural to encourage families to practise better
population has access to safe water supplies hygiene habits through health education.
which explains their daily preoccupation “The biggest impact of the project will
with water. This deficiency means that be to decrease the workload of women and
toilets are also a rarity; only one in 10 rural children, as they are often the ones who
homes has one. It is the same situation in have to collect water,” says Bishnu Pokhrel,
schools where children use the bushes UNICEF WASH Officer. “This will save
when they have to go. Besides the health them a lot of time, which is significant
risks, the lack of privacy also discourages especially for school-going children.”
adolescent girls from attending school. With UNICEF’s funding, the District
To address these issues, UNICEF has Water and Sanitation Department was
begun a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene finally able to respond to the needs of some
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
of the most water-impoverished villages in
2006 and 2007. “We have been dreaming
about water and that people will finally
hear our call,” says Antonio Riberio, the
village chief of Camea.
“We received a request from this village
since 2001, but we had no funds. Recently
with UNICEF’s help, we have been able
to begin some work,” explains Isac Pereira,
Community Water and Sanitation District
Officer.
Together with local NGOs, the
Government held a community action
and planning meeting with each village
to discuss their water and sanitation
problems, identify their needs, and create
2008
Village chief Antonio Riberio (right) and NGO staff Jose
<
da Silva inspect a newly constructed toilet in Camea
< Villagers from Camea dig trenches to lay pipes so that
water from distribution tanks can flow to their village
“
We have been
dreaming about
water and that
people will finally
hear our call. ”
Antonio Riberio
an action plan. Villagers formed groups
that planned and implemented the WASH
project; when all the work is completed,
the groups will then operate and maintain
the facilities.
“The community suggested the
locations for three water tanks but it was
us who did a technical assessment,” says
Jose Da Silva from NGO Natiles. “Only
one location had to be changed because it
was too far away from the homes.”
In early 2007, the villagers of Camea
began constructing the water tanks with
materials supplied by UNICEF. “We
had to carry the materials up to the
construction site by foot because there was
Health: Water
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Pokhrel
no road,” says Paulo da Cunha, “Even the
women and children helped to carry water
up there.”
The villagers are motivated as they
know that once piped water flows to their
village, the nearby school will also have
water and working toilets. “We may not
receive any money for working, but we
will receive water,” adds Da Cunha, “and
it will mean that my children will have
better education.”
The WASH project will also assist
69 families in Camea to build their
own private toilets. Previously, only two
families could afford them. Now, cement,
sand, squatting pans, PVC pipes and iron
bars are provided; the villagers only have
to build the toilet walls with any material
they can afford. Some have chosen palm
leaves while others use zinc plates.
Manuel da Conceiçao, 32, is now
saving up enough money to complete his
toilet with cement blocks. The father of
four believes his family’s health will greatly
improve once the toilet is completed.
“To take a bath, we have to walk down
about 30 minutes to the river,” he says.
“There’s also no privacy in the village, if
we need to use the toilet, we have to find a
spot in the bush or go inside the pig sty.”
During the construction of the water
systems and toilets in the 31 villages,
trained staff from local NGOs also
conducted health education such as hand
washing, proper water storage at home
and the proper use of toilets. They will
continue this again when the project is
complete, at the end of 2007.
- October 2007
37
 OCCIDENTAL

38 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

 OECUSSE
Separated but one
with Timor-Leste,
the enclave is now
getting the attention
it needs.

By Bridgette See
All photographs by Martine Perret/UNMIT

2008 39
Occidental Oecusse

OECUSSE
Population : 58,000
Education : 62% illiterate (above 6 years old)
Employment : 82% in agriculture, fishing, and forestry
Local languages: Baikenu, Atoni
Source: Timor-Leste Census 2004 PANTE
MACASAR

O
ecusse is unique. Lying on the
north shore of Timor Island, it is Pante Macasar
about 75 km away from Timor-
Leste, and enclosed by Indonesia
on three sides. Technically, it is an exclave
Nitibe Oesilo
since it sits completely outside Timor-
Leste, but it is more commonly referred
to as the Oecusse enclave. Passabe
Due to its isolation, Oecusse has
retained a rustic touch, with locals still
clad in traditional woven cloths or
tais, while puffing on pipes or rolled
cigarettes. But this separation from the
mainland has proven to be a challenge
for the autonomous region. Road travel
is difficult so most people rely on a twice-
weekly ferry to reach Dili, while the
United Nations mission runs a limited
helicopter service for its staff.
“Everything in Oecusse cost more
than in Dili due to the extra freight
cost to ship it from Dili,” says Richard Timor-Leste
Mounsey, who is the UN Development
Programme’s Senior Economic Advisor West Timor (Indonesia)
to the Oecusse Secretary of State. “Bad
weather or ferry breakdowns result in
people being trapped here with the food
supply cut off as Oecusse is still unable to
meet its own food demands.” well as the current UN mission in Timor- focus on the MDGs in the places the
According to studies, the enclave is Leste (UNMIT). Government alone may take years to
one of the poorest areas in Timor, and the A joint visit to Oecusse in May 2007 reach.”
most vulnerable in terms of food security. started the ball rolling — establishing An example of a coordinated effort is
It is also lagging behind in achieving the a local-level coordination committee a trial by Caritas Australia to introduce a
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) made up of government, UN and NGO package of services to the Cuetete region,
which include aims of improving literacy, representatives. Mounsey co-chairs the in the north. The NGO’s plan is to start
gender equality, and maternal and child group with the Secretary of State Jorge by introducing roads, and subsequently
survival rates. Teme and District Administrator Francisco other services such as schools, mobile
Based on these assessments, the UN Marquez. clinics, water and sanitation, and
has chosen to focus on Oecusse for its “The present projects are okay but not economic programmes. The road works
joint programme for vulnerable districts. integrated. Sometimes they are replicated which was completed in October 2007
This coordinates development efforts for and there’s no cross-coordination,” was funded by UNMIT, while WFP and
UN agencies, funds and programmes, as Mounsey explains. “The group aims to ILO gave food and cash to those who

40 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE


“ The group aims to focus
on the MDGs in the places
the Government alone may
take years to reach.”
participated in the construction.
UNICEF is also sharpening its
focus on Oecusse. “We looked at all our
programmes’ work plans to prioritise our
efforts in Oecusse,” says Baba Danpapa,
UNICEF Deputy Representative.
“For instance, we will accelerate our
immunisation activities to dramatically
increase the number of children protected
against vaccine-preventable diseases, and at
the same time aim to improve the quality
of service.”
Rehabilitation of school toilets and
water systems is also a concern. Four
2008
Richard Mounsey
schools that required immediate help have
been identified by UNICEF and WFP.
Consultant Franklin Garcia, with staff
from the National Directorate of Water
and Sanitation Services, drew up plans
to install water supply systems at the four
sites by year’s end. UNICEF will continue
to assist more schools in 2008.
“I felt that the communities were so
enthusiastic,” says Garcia. “When we asked
if they were willing to build and maintain
the toilets and wells if we provided the
materials, they said, ‘Yes, if you come,
we’re ready to do it.’”
Occidental Oecusse
Chipping in:
As with all parts of Timor-Leste, everyone
including children help out on the farms
<
By bringing water to school kitchens,
this will complement WFP’s School
Feeding Programme which provides food
supplies for parents to prepare mid-day
meals for students.
“By converging all of UNICEF’s
activities on Oecusse, we can see the
impact of the synergy of the interventions,”
says Siping Wang, UNICEF Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.
In August, UNICEF and government
partners conducted a workshop to assist
Oecusse’s top officials to draw up a
development plan.
41
Linking up:
Farmers participate in a road project
funded by the UN and other partners

42 TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

2008 43

“We used the national database so
that they could look at the available data
and compare Oecusse’s situation with the
other districts,” says Wang. “This evidence-
based planning can help to prioritise
which specific areas should be tackled with
limited resources.”
Although the plan is still being
drafted, some priority areas such as roads,
clean water, health, education, agriculture
and economic development have been
identified.
44
“I hope that in two to three years,
all the people of Oecusse will be able to
enjoy electricity. Also I hope they will have
sufficient water to drink, to bathe with,
and to water their farms,” says Jorge Teme,
Secretary of State. “After three years, I hope
that with improved roads, the people will
need only about 1.5 hours to reach Passabe
(south of Oecusse), not five hours.”
Teme’s Chief of Staff, Jefferino Sau,
points out that the other priority for the
people of Oecusse is to have peace and
Facets of Oecusse:
It is a tough life in Oecusse but its
people are enthusiastic about future
development (left); Oecusse’s isolation
helps preserves its rustic charm but
poses economic challenges for its people
(bottom left); No free-trade zone exists
between Oecusse and Indonesia so
locals can only rely on the ferry to trade
goods in Dili
stability restored to the country. “When
there is stability, there is development,”
Sau says. “The people are aware and
enthusiastic about development in Timor-
Leste, especially in Oecusse.”
- October 2007
With additional reporting by Sophie Boudre
and Ehud Bell from UNMIT Public
Information Office.
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
The ‘evil’ uncle who abuses his niece sexually in
a UNICEF-supported theatre skit
Serious fun
It was a break from their daily routine,
as the residents of Motael IDP camp
gathered to catch skits by local theatre
group Knua Buka Hatene. Supported
by UNICEF, the group toured 10 Dili
IDP camps to share child protection
messages. The actors’ comic skills threw
everyone in stitches, as they parodied
teachers, parents and an elderly granny.
Based on UNICEF’s campaign “Speak
Nicely to Me”, the skit encouraged
adults to explain to children gently
when they make mistakes instead of
shouting or beating them. Next was a
skit about a man who sexually abuses
his niece. Luckily a friend comes to
the girl’s rescue and brings her to the
doctor and police where justice is
sought. Their antics once again rocked
the crowd with laughter, but at times,
the audience fell silent when the niece
cried sorrowfully. UNICEF hopes that
by combining theatre with humour,
tough issues like sexual abuse and
violence against children will be more
openly discussed in communities.
UNICEF is now working with two
theatre groups to present similar skits
in Ainaro, Oecusse, and Bobonaro
districts. By the end of 2007, the
groups are expected to reach more
than 10,000 children and adults in
schools, IDP camps and communities.
— Darla Rudakubana
2008
Snapshots
Hello Dolly!
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/See
Dolls with psychedelic hair colours in
green, pink, blue and red are making
their way into classrooms in Timor-Leste.
Known as ‘Atauro’s Dolls’, the cotton
dolls were handmade by 30 previously
unemployed women from Atauro Island,
which is part of Dili district. More than
3000 were purchased by UNICEF in May
2007 and distributed to all government really teach the children how to be gentle
registered pre-schools and some IDP and to care,” said Sister Aurora, who runs
camps running pre-primary activities. A the Canossiana pre-school in Comoro.
4-page guide was also provided to give She has even organised a workshop for her
teachers more ideas on using the dolls, teachers to familiarise them with the dolls
from telling stories, to demonstrating after observing that both teachers and
simple behaviour like washing hands and students were too shy to get silly and talk
friendliness. “I think playing with dolls can to their newfound friends.
Say Cheese
On a hot Friday afternoon in July, 20 eager children
gathered at the steps of the Akanunu church in Hera to
await UNICEF consultants Filomena Babo and Yulian
Setyanto. The two had come to organise the children for
a Smiling Faces drawing competition held by UNICEF’s
Korean National Committee. This annual contest is
part of the 27th Geumsan Ginseng Festival in Korea.
The children huddled in a small circle around Yulian
UNICEF Timor-Leste/2007/Santos
and watched attentively as he drew a happy faced child
with a blue T-shirt and squiggles for hair. He placed
his picture in the middle and the children eagerly got
down to business. Soon, smiling faces of every shape,
size and colour emerged. These drawings, together with
those from 2 other Dili-based IDP camps, were sent to Korea. Children from Laos,
Mongolia, Thailand, Afghanistan and China also took part. Although no Timorese
entries took the top prizes, three were chosen as ‘Selected drawings’ and the children
received a box of crayons and ginseng candies from Korea. — Darla Rudakubana
Star act their children’s future, and to protect their
Marta has had a busy year: the children from being manipulated into
Timorese cartoon character, joining political activities. A full-colour
which was developed to Marta comic book ‘Will Marta leave
promote girls’ and children’s school?’ is now hot off the printing press,
rights, has appeared on TV, with a second one ‘Learning how to respect’
radio, posters and even comic books. on its way. Marta was officially launched
Marta was recruited to assist the United in 2006 and supported by organisations
Nations in the parliamentary elections such as the Alola Foundation, and the
by appearing on two posters printed by Government’s Office of Promotion of
the Voter Education Unit. UNICEF also Equality.
developed three 30-second radio and TV Email: marta.fitun@gmail.com for more
spots to remind parents to vote wisely for information.
45
 10
Snapshots
facts
about
Timor
2 3
A new ferry, the Nakroma, now
plies between Oecusse, Dili
and Atauro Island. Donated by
Germany, the boat carries up
to 300 passengers and 170
tonnes of cargo.
5 6
Pre-paid phone cards at $5
and $10 are now available.
Telecommunications costs
remain the same - $0.25 per
minute and $0.10 per SMS
locally.
Diak
ka lae ?
8 9
The 2007 Parliamentary
elections ushered in a high
number of female members; 18
women from six parties form
27% of Parliament, higher than
the global average of 17%.
46
The country’s first national
park, named after resistance
hero Nino Santana, was
announced in August 2007.
The 123,600 hectares park,
found in the eastern part of
the country, links three of the
country’s bird sanctuaries:
Lore, Monte Paitchau and Lake
Iralala, and Jaco Island.
National broadcaster
RTTL’s signals are stronger
now thanks to additional
repeaters and transmitters.
All 13 districts can tune in
to Radio Timor-Leste while
10 districts can receive local
TV news without relying on
satellite dishes anymore.
Apart from political conflict,
Timor also suffered from a
persistent drought and locust
attacks that ravaged its 2007
harvest. FAO*
said major crop
production was
cut by 30%,
leaving one in five
Timorese in need
of food assistance.
1
Timor lost the title of “The
World’s Newest Nation”
after Montenegro became
independent in June 2006. But
Timor-Leste is still the youngest
nation this side of the world!
4
1 in 3 Timorese is 15-29 years
old; ILO* says every year
15,000-20,000 young people
enter the labour market. But
with an unstable economy, only
12% of the total labour force is
formally hired.
7 1,100 wind-up radios from
AUSAID were given to rural
aldeia (sub-village) chiefs
in July to promote access to
information. A national media
survey says the biggest barrier
to radio listening is the cost of
batteries so these radios should
get more Timorese tuning into
the airwaves.
10
Timor-Leste ratified all seven
international treaties, including
the Convention on the Rights
of the Child, on International
Human Rights Day, 10th
December 2002.
* ILO: International Labour Organisation
* FAO: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE

ARE WE DOING
ENOUGH TO PROTECT
TIMOR’S CHILDREN?
By Lauren Rumble
Still displaced:
Martine Perret/UNMIT
By October 2007, 100,000
people were still internally
displaced in the country
I
n early August, I travelled to Baucau, a district east of Dili
and reached by one of the most picturesque roads in Timor.
A week later, Baucau was set alight by groups protesting
the outcome of the 2007 parliamentary elections. Schools,
churches and humanitarian aid offices, supplies and equipment
were destroyed. Baucau’s Regional Office housing Social Services
- one of the few functioning offices of its kind in the country
- was reduced to ashes. Families and communities, including
participants of UNICEF’s earlier training on child rights and
child protection, fled to Dili and neighbouring districts in fear.
Violence subsequently erupted in another district, Viqueque:
emptying villages and forcing families and communities into
their mountains, far from services, schools and international
support. United Nations personnel’s security was at risk and
access to vulnerable people difficult.
Instability remains a constant feature of life in Dili and
crisis-affected districts such as Baucau. Many in the protection
sector expected that most of the displaced peoples would return
home, after the initial political crisis of 2006. But this has not
been the case and as the latest inter-agency emergency appeal
highlights, limited funding is available for the required sustained
humanitarian response.
2008
Commentary
Indeed, the impact of violence can be significant, particularly
on women and children so increased support is needed to address
the myriad of problems children are facing now.
Throughout its history, Timor-Leste has been besieged by
violence and insecurity. A prolonged history of oppression and
victimisation has taken its toll: more than 40% of the population
now live below the poverty line, with at least one in 10 children
acutely malnourished. Some 10% of people are displaced,
following the 2006 crisis and continued civil unrest. Access to
basic social services, especially in rural areas is poor.
In the capital Dili, many children are without parental care
and have taken to living and working on the streets - exposed to
violence, exploitation and abuse. Human trafficking, especially
child trafficking, is also a real risk. Many children, when
interviewed, expressed a sense of hopelessness for their future and
a large number of young people are involved in gangs, criminal
activities and violence.
Groups monitoring gender-based violence report increased
incidence in displacement camps or host communities, with an
estimated 60% of cases involving children. Like in many post-
conflict countries, gender-based violence in Timor-Leste is linked
to the underlying causes of poverty, rage, and traditional beliefs
47
Commentary
Devastation:
A family in front of their
burnt-down house in Afolokai,
Viqueque after post-election
violence in August 2007
about women and girls’ low status in society. Few official reports
are received however, due to a lack of services, survivors’ sense
of shame and guilt, as well as an economic dependency on the
perpetrator. It is likely that actual incidence of gender-based
violence is therefore much higher than reported numbers.
Violence against women and children prevents a significant
part of Timor-Leste’s population from participating fully in
the development of this new and politically vibrant nation. As
recognised internationally, gender-based violence is a threat to
long–term peace and stability, as well as progress to end poverty.
Yet the protection of women and children is seldom prioritised
in the mandate and resource allocation of police troops. The
Vulnerable Persons Unit within the national police force is short-
staffed and overstretched; few trained personnel are active to
receive and follow-up complaints of violence and abuse.
Within the legal and social services sectors, resources are also
limited. Only a handful of trained professionals are available
to address the needs and rights of child victims, witnesses and
offenders. As a result, enormous gaps exist between international
and national conventions, laws and policies, and what children
experience every day in this new nation.
What is needed is transformative action at a variety of levels.
We need to build up a social movement to combat abusive
traditional practices that have existed for decades. Legislators
and law enforcers must untangle the confusing web of inherited
Indonesian, Portuguese and other legislation to adequately protect
children-at-risk. Programmes to support vocational training,
informal education and reconciliation for children in contact
with the law should be in place. The social sector is particularly
in need of attention: a cohort of social welfare professionals to
support child victims is urgently required while access to social
48
Martine Perret/UNMIT
services must be increased through decentralisation.
Such strategies should take account of the ever-evolving
political, social and economic context to place children’s rights and
protection at the centre of the new Government’s development
plan.
For example, oil wealth could be channelled into social
investment projects that create safety nets and provide social
assistance for vulnerable children and families. Additional financial
and technical support should be budgeted for by Government to
ensure that the Child Protection Unit within the Department of
Social Services is properly staffed and funded.
In 2005, the then Prime Minister established a National
Commission for Children under decree law. This Commission
needs to be active; allowing for vigilant monitoring and reporting
on child rights violations in line with the Convention on the
Rights of the Child. Security of the population should be integrally
linked to provide special security for women and children through
trained, active police units that are able to report and investigate
crimes of sexual violence and abuse.
There are tremendous opportunities to create a protective
environment for children in Timor-Leste. Already, a culture
of human rights and empowerment pervades government
policy-making and is at the heart of Timor’s struggle for peace
and independence. The international community can support
such momentum by contributing sound technical guidance
and meaningful capacity building initiatives to boost national
leadership and positively impact on children’s lives in Timor-
Leste.
Lauren Rumble is Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF Timor-Leste.
lrumble@unicef.org
TIMOR-LESTE NOW AND THE FUTURE
United Nations Children’s Fund
Timor-Leste
UN House
P.O. Box 212
Rua de Caicoli
Dili, Timor-Leste

T: +670 3313532
F: +670 3313532

www.unicef.org