HOSTING PARTNERMa j o r s po n s o r

WHAT YOU DO MATTERS ~ LEARNING TOGETHER WITH OPEN MINDS AND GENEROUS HEARTS

Helder de Jesus Bareto Teixeira, Program Manager of Sustainable Livelihood and Disaster Risk Reduction Programs,

Caritas Australia, Dili Office TL

My complete name is Helder de Jesus Bareto Teixeira. Most of my friends call me Helder. I amfrom Timor Leste and I grew up in Oecusse, an enclave of Timor Leste. I grew up in Catholicfamily and I am married with have two sons.

I have been working with Caritas Australia since 2008 and I am responsible for theSustainable Livelihoods/DRR program and 11 local NGO’s in two municipalities: Manufahiand Oecusse.

Caritas Australia is an organization where I have many opportunities to learn new thingsincluding organizational development, program design and implementation and communityengagement. This enables me to lead and manage Sustainable Livelihoods(SL) /Disaster RiskReduction (DRR) programs and especially to better support our local partners and targetcommunities to become stronger, independent and owners of their project activities.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

MAP OF TIMOR LESTE

Timor Leste became a new nation in 2012 and is divided into the following areas :o It is located within South-East Asia and lies

400km north of Australia, across the Timor Sea, and in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago.

o Municipalities 13o Administrative Posts 64o Villages 442o Sub Villages 2202

Total Population : 1.180.069

Religion96.9% Roman Catholic3.1% other religion

Languages:

o 34 Local languages

o 2 National languages (Tetum and Portuguese)

• In 1999 Caritas Australia established a physical presence in Timor Leste in response to the events after the UN sponsored Referendum that lead to Timor Leste to become an independent nation. Caritas Australia works in emergency/humanitarian response capacity.

• In 2003 Caritas Australia moved from Emergency to Development programs in TL, working in the areas of agriculture, prevention of gender based violence.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE CARITAS AUSTRALIA PROGRAM IN TIMOR LESTE OVER TIME

• In 2006 Timor Leste experienced a military /police crises which resulted in several thousands of people internally displaced mainly in Dili. Caritas Australia responded with Special Operations Appeal (SOA) to work with partners including church partner’s in the areas of Peace Building/Conflict Resolution, strengthening community cohesion.

• CA also worked and funded two networks of local NGOs. One was with women and children in IDP camps, to reduce their stress and trauma, providing psychosocial activities for children in. The second network together with the UN Agencies and NGO Forum to run advocacy activities to promote peace building. This resulted in a national seminar on Peace Building in 2007.

• From 2009 – 2014 Caritas Australia developed a new strategic plan. Working through 3 programs. Peace Building/Community and Family Violence Prevention, Integrated Rural Community Development and Partnerships.

• CA worked in most of the 13 municipalities, with offices in Oe-cusse and Dili with 60+ local partners and some direct implementation. At the time CA Timor Leste program employed a total of 72 staff.

• In 2014 CA Timor Leste program had an organizational review (HAMETIN). The results of this review led to a major redesign and restructure of the programs and organizational structure.

Protection (survivors support/shelter, awareness raising, advocacy)

Sustainable Livelihoods/DRR(horticulture, livestock, saving & loans, DRR)

• Today we have a new 3 year program design, focusing on:

We work in 4 municipalities

We still have two offices and the total staff is 34 (10 in Oe-cusseand 24 in Dili)

Baucau Viqueque

ManufahiOe-cusse

How do we work

New paradigm of development ABCDAsset Based Community Development focuses on discovering the resources in existence inside a community such as human, natural, social, physical and financial. The role of development agencies to compliment these resources and accompany community, to achieve their objectives.

Half emptyNeeds approachTop downCommunity as object

Half fullAsset approachBottom upOwnership

Integral Human Development (IHD) IHD (Life with dignity, Just and peaceful relationship,Sustained economic wellbeing & resilience, Influence and independence)

CA Strategic Direction (Theory of Change/Program Logic)

CST – the foundation, reflect these values.

We work with 22 partners including 3 dioceses (Dili, Baucau and Maliana) in 55 villages

1. Life with dignity

Victims (women) have received counselling and accessed legal support & basic needs that supported from Shelters.

Specific achievement of Protection & SL/DRR program contribute to IHD outcomes

2. Just and peaceful relationship

Community (including married men and women, young people) have increased knowledge on various topic of trainings such as the role of men in relation to preventing violence against women, interpersonal relationship human rights (law regarding violence against women and Penalty Process code)

3. Sustained economic wellbeing and resilience

Vulnerable families increased income through selling their cash crops, livestock, small business (e.g. kiosk, sewing) as well as generating higher savings and access to loans.

4. Influence and independence

Vulnerable members of community and women involved in decision making and planning and engaged in advocacy activity.

Caritas Australia in Timor Leste receives up to 5 group of visitors (less than 15 students each group) from different college every year (e.g. Assumption College Kilmore, Shepparton Students, Notre Dome Students etc.)

Most of the groups only visited the Caritas Office half day for mutual sharing and discussing with CA staff regarding Caritas programs in Timor Leste and the visitors activities.

LEARNING TOGETHER WITH OPEN MINDS AND GENEROUS HEARTS

In 2014 Immersion group (Notre Dome Fremantle) and then in 2016 The Djilpin Arts group visited CA program activities in Manufahi and Baucau during 10 days. There were some main activities during the visit such as discussing & sharing experience with local partners and the community regarding the project outcomes and challenges, visited project sites and engaged in groups activities (e.g. prepare seedlings, weaving etc.), and met with local leaders specifically the traditional elders shared on Timor history and culture.

Preparation/Logistics for us visitors are arriving

• Notice from the Caritas HQ in Sydney to country office

• Consultation process:

visitor caritas partners target group

The most important aspect is to consult with and involve local partners and target group (including local leaders).

They know better the situation and the group. Let the partner and target group to discuss and decide which group to visit, time etc.

Security issues

Avoid misunderstanding – inform objectives of the visit

• Logistic process

Form team per municipality

Prepare budget & agenda

Booking restaurant & hotels

Coordinate with OPS on vehicle and first aid kit

Debriefing pre departure ( safety & security, culture norms etc.)Notes: 3 months preparation (challenge: distance/rural area, no internet access,

team have to come to municipality to ensure preparation)

“Kuta/matak malirin”

Lia Na’in/Traditional Elder will put a sign on your head which means the spirit of the ancestor will guide & protect you wherever you go in Timor island.

Cultural Welcoming Process

“Tais”

Giving tais means you are now tied as a part of our Timorese family.

“Bidu hena mutin”

Traditional dance “bidu henamutin” will accompany you into the place which means we receive you in our home country with an clean (open) heart.

• It is good to visit TL and its partners and community in July – October (dry season) as most of our program in remote area facing challenge with the road during wet season. Partners and target communities will also have available time as the project activities is less from July to October. ** Check the weather and check our availability !!

• When you are in the community many people (adults, young men and women, children) will looking at you with smile even they really want to shake hand and take pictures with you. Please don’t feel uncomfortable or furious but put smile on your face. This because of hospitality is important for Timorese people. We want to be your friend and in the rural area we rarely met with foreigners which we call “malae”/the white skin.

• ** We like to have visitors !

What you can do and cannot do?

• When you visit the project sites one of community members will show you how they work (e.g. planting vegetables, weaving) and he/she may invite you to do the same. Please don’t say “No”. It doesn’t mean he/she wants to test you but he/she wants you to feel and experience what they are doing everyday. *Come with an open mind

• The community members love to listen and welcome any of your input. They will be very grateful as you can see and hear their situation and condition of life. * You will learn from us, we can learn from you!

• Don’t reject any offer (food or anything), please! Even you don’t really like it, just receive and keep. This is a symbol of acceptance and respect. * It’s important for us as the hosts to be generous, so please be polite

• People in Timor Leste have a set of cultural norms and places which we call “lulik”/sacred and you are not allow to visit and/or to get in unless by the permission of Lia Na’in/the traditional elders. Timor Leste is mostly Catholic. You are require to wear appropriate dress attending the mass. * Please show genuine RESPECT for our culture.

A story from the field ~Coffee beans, planting crops…..and two

coins

A story from the field ~Coffee beans, planting crops…..and two

coins

A story from the field ~Coffee beans, planting crops…..and two

coins

And those 2 coins …..

• A positive, mutually beneficial outcome is not guaranteed by an immersion experience or partnership. Nor is it achieved without its challenges. Preparation is KEY.

• It is paramount, in light of our Christian call to "love others as we love ourselves" that student immersions be mutually beneficial; for both those being visited and those visiting.

• If a service component is desired on your visit, please wait to be invited. Assistance may be welcome…or not.

• We share a common humanity. Honour that.

• If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together. (Lilla Watson, Aboriginal elder, activist Qld)

Summary

LISTEN, LEARN, DISCERN, AFFIRM

WHAT YOU DO MATTERS ~

Let’s learn together with open minds and generous hearts.

Summary

Go to the people

Walk beside the people, at their pace

Learn from the people

Plan with the people

Work with the people

Start with what they know

Build on what they have

Teach by showing, learn by doing

Not a showcase, but a pattern

Not piecemeal , but integrated

Not odds and ends, but assisting

Not to conform, but to transform

Not relief, but release

Adapted from Yen Yangchu

20th Century community-based development pioneer, Sichuan Province

Obrigado !