Friends of Suai Newsletter October 2014

Friends of Suai/Covalima
Oc t o be r 2 0 1 4
Water and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Project for Suai Secondary School
After lengthy planning and consultation, the renovation and construction of new toilets at the Suai Secondary
School with a design for the supply of water, has been finalised. This will bring much needed water and sanitation
facilities to this large school which has over 1800 students and a staff of approximately 50. The planning has been
undertaken with the approval of the District Water and Sanitation Department and drilling of a new bore is due
to commence soon.
In addition, plans for the operation and
maintenance of the water supply into the future
have been incorporated into the project, essential
to its ongoing sustainability. Students and parents
will be encouraged to participate in aspects of
the project.
Unfortunately, despite the need, there are no
immediate government plans to provide water to
this school and the FoS/C Reference Committee
therefore has decided to proceed because of the
community benefit. We rely on your continued
support to the Covalima community, to enable
people to develop themselves and ensure a better
future for young people and their whole community.
Improving WASH services can particularly
benefit girls’ and women’s access to education,
as girls can attend school instead of collecting water.
Also, installing separate toilets and washing facilities
for boys and girls increases girls attendance
at school.
The Rotary Club of Sorrento has already
contributed to the cost of drilling the bore, but
more funds are needed to connect the water
supply and proceed with the construction of toilets
Your donations are vital so that the
project can proceed.
Notice of Meeting
Friends of Suai/Covalima, Annual
General Meeting 2013–14
Wednesday 3 December 6:30 – 8pm
Council Chamber St Kilda Town Hall
All Welcome
A lack of access to a clean,
safe toilet can impact on girls’
attendance at school, increase
burden of womens’ work
and leave females at risk of
sanitation-borne disease and
even violent assault. World
Toilet Day Report
Donations
Please register your new and/or
ongoing donations now online at:
www.friendsofsuai.org.au
Or send a cheque by mail made
payable to Friends of Suai Donations,
City of Port Phillip, Private Bag 3,
St Kilda 3182. All donations will be
processed subject to the City of Port
Phillip’s strict financial controls.
Inquiries telephone
Pat Jessen 9209 6777.
Friends of Suai
City of Port Phillip
Private Bag 3
St Kilda VIC 3182
T 9209 6598
Covalima Community Centre (CCC)
Visitors to Australia
Eugenio da Souza, Chair of the Covalima Community
Centre and Alita da Conceicao, Coordinator of the
Rural Women’s Development Program recently
returned home after a productive three week
exchange visit to Australia in July organised by
the Friends of Suai. Eugenio and Alita met with
Indigenous organisations in the Northern Territory
and participated in a welcome smoking ceremony in
St Kilda. They were welcomed by Council, attended
a Council meeting, and visited Land Care members
at Westgate Park to hear and see how the park
benefited the community situated next to major
development in Port Melbourne. They also spent a
day at the Port Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre
where they participated in community programs
and met with the Board. They both presented their
work at the Victorian Local Government Association
conference, Working together with Timor Leste–the
next 10 years, as well as connecting with a variety of
other individuals and organisations throughout the
community. The visit focused on sharing information
and seeing different models of development relevant
to East Timor, especially in the face of change. They also
Rowan Reid Master Tree Grower,
Otw
shows the Friends of Suai delegatio ays Reforestation Network,
n over his
farm whilst gathering black walnut demonstration
seeds
visited partner IWDA and a workshop at Oxfam
on Free, Prior and Informed Consent .
“Free, prior and informed consent (“FPIC”) is generally
understood as the right of indigenous peoples to
approve or reject proposed actions or projects that may
affect them or their lands, territories or resources.”
The Community Reception at Port Melbourne
Neighbourhood Centre with the Mystic Trio provided
an opportunity to get together with others in the City
of Port Phillip. The visit was a big success thanks to
considerable volunteer support.
Dinner at home with Irena and Chris and our Timor friends
a and Alita da Conceiao
East Timor visitors Eugenio da Sous
al smoking ceremony led
take part in a traditional Aborigin (centre)
by Dean Stewart
Councillors welcome Eugenio and Alita to Council
Lynn, Alita and Balthasar at Angelsea
FOS group and Councillors at Timor Leste Conference
East Timor Schools Conference
‘Developing Democracy and Society in South East
Asia’ the East Timor Schools Conference was held on
the 15th of August at Caulfield Grammar School. Over
120 students from 7 schools attended the day which
included speakers such as former Victorian Health
Minister John Thwaites, University of New South Wales
Professor Clinton Fernandes, Timor Sea Justice worker
Tom Clarke, With One Seed Organiser Andrew Mahar,
and Coordinator, Friends of Suai/City of Por t Phillip,
Pat Jessen. Dr. Manny Kingsley, former History and
Politics teacher organised the day which focused on the
histor y and politics of East Timor and Australia’s role
and covered issues relating to Civics and Citizenship in
contemporary society and Asian Studies. The students
in attendance produced a number of great questions
for the speakers. Councillor Jane Touzeau formally
congratulated Dr. Kingsley for his work in bringing
the day together as well as his wider contribution to
education in Victoria.
Tom Clarke, Timor Sea Justice Gro
up explains the details
of the maritime boundar y
Seven schools and over 100 students attend Friend of Suai
Schools conference on East Timor.
Community members visit to
Suai in 2014
Barbara Selvay conducts a lesson
with the English
teacher and his students in Suai usin
g new English
resource books
Friends of Suai/Covalima members Sandra Whitbourn,
Barbara Selvay, Tony Phillips and Ann Wigglesworth
visited Suai in July and August 2014.
§§
§§
Barbara and Sandra conducted two workshops
with English language teachers focused on using
books to enhance English teaching, and suppor ted
the ongoing Library project. English books
provided by Friends of Suai were distributed to
rural teachers in remote schools that have very
few, if any resources.
FoS/C Treasurer, Tony Phillips provided financial
training and mentoring to the Director and CCC
suppor t staff for ten days in July.
§§
work with
Sandra Whitbourn and Tony Phillips
workshop at
a
in
uage
Lang
ish
Engl
of
hers
teac
the CCC
In early August, Committee member Ann
Wiggleswor th visited Suai to follow up with CCC
after the exchange visit to Australia and seek
fur ther information on the water and sanitation
project to the Suai Secondary school.
Container shipment
for Covalima
A shipping container was filled with approximately
two hundred second hand computers that will be
shared with InfoTimor, office chairs, art equipment
for kindergartens, baby scales, health kits , sports
uniforms and other items for the Covalima District.
Big thanks goes to all the donars including: the
St. Kilda City Junior Football Club, The Rockdogs,
Lauriston Girls School for sports uniform donations
and the City of Port Phillip for the computers,
furniture and other equipment which will all have
a second life in Covalima. Special thanks also to all
the volunteers and staff who helped dismantle and
pack the items into the container.
Covalima Tais made by master weaver, Orlanda Martins, Camanasa
An exhibition on Covalima
Textiles
Following a successful submission to the Galler y St
Kilda Town Hall, an exhibition is scheduled for April
2015. The Cultural Heritage of Suai – Camenaca is a
joint initiative of Friends of Suai and Timor Aid. The
exhibition sits within the context of the impending
industrial development in the district of Covalima,
including Suai, on a scale which will change its social
fabric, with a likely dispersal or loss of traditional skills
and ar t forms, if not the traditions themselves. Thus the
proposed exhibition profiles the cultural heritage of
these communities. Its stated objectives are:
To document the cultural heritage of the district of
Covalima;
To elucidate the intangible heritage associated with the
motifs and structure of Tetun and Bunak woven cloths;
To document the rituals, oral literature, community life,
physical and social environment of these communities
of Covalima; and
a second lease of life and
150 computers to Suai, giving themand job growth in Suai.
enabling training, development
To profile cultural collections of traditional textiles
from within and beyond Timor-Leste.
Scholarships Program and CCC Staff
Professional Development
23 trainees under this year’s scholarship program continue their
education, with 21 who are under taking vocational training about
to commence their workplacements in October. During July,13
CCC staff & 2 NGO staff par ticipated in Cer tificate III Training and
Assessment in Suai and 2 staff completed Cer tificate IV training in
Dili. This investment in staff capability will enhance the delivery of
community training at the CCC.
CCC Director Alberto Barros was awarded a
scholarship to attend a leadership training course with
Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative in Seattle, USA
for two weeks. The main topics included leadership,
strategic planning, human resource management, social
change, business models and good governance.