Friends of Suai

The long-promised, long awaited, 9 year dream has come true.

” dear….Thanks to everyone..
I’m sending this email to you all from my own desk at the youth centre office. today, our internet already on…

“..today and tomorrow so busy reorganize the place and removing the things, repainting all building with our volunteers. Erna and Jaimitu filming all the processes of installation as you remaind me..

when we go for skype..??

rgds

egy “

Sweeter words have never been heard – well maybe that’s an exaggeration but it is very good news, that Broadband access has arrived at the community level in Suai. This letter arrived from Ergilio Vicente the Co-ordinator of the Covalima Youth Centre recently. No longer the long queues at Timor Telecom that cost a fortune and fail! No more getting on the motor bike or into the car or walking up the hill and down and back again, Egy can email as he said in the subject heading of this email “from my desk”!

We look forward to seeing the photographs soon.

Thanks to Emanuel Braz and all at the International Centre for Journalism and the Friends of Suai who have helped make this dream come true. ( I hear USAID paid for it.)

From Pat Jessen Co-ordinator Friends of Suai in Port Phillip:

Hi I am now back home in Australia after 3 weeks in Timor Leste. Simao Barreto, Coordinator of the Community Centre and I went to Baucau to visit the 4 Suai trainees at Info Timor. They had finished their first month training on Ubuntu office suite and PowerPoint and were ready to learn the technical side of refurbishing computers and internet.

Permaculture Project Suai Agriculture High School -Akar Laran

From Pat Jessen: June 2008

Tais Kamenassa

This time I made the time to go to where the women were weaving their Tais (textiles) in the homes, villages and workshop. There will be a Timor Leste Women’s Weaving Exhibition, Forum and Market in September 2008. We wanted to ensure that women of Covalima had their work on display and on sale at the market at St Kilda Town Hall.

We found the Covalima women weave beautiful & varied pieces across the district and between villages. The traditional futus, (weaving method of dying patterns) that have been handed down by ancestors continue to be woven into the fabric in each village with attention to dyes, colour, cotton & design. As well as the traditional weaving some new Thai looms have been brought to Suai by Timor Aid who are training young women on the new technique.

The Forum in September will discuss old and new methods and markets. We commissioned some new products including scarves and belts which were produced by the women’s weaving group in Suai Loro village in great colours which we think will appeal to the local market in Australia.

For stories and photographs of the exhibition, and Forum as well as an article about the Tais  in the traditional  Culture section of this website Suai Media Space click here.

Summary key issues from visit to Suai E Timor 20 Feb – 03 Mar 2007

It was a very productive visit to Suai and enabled good face-to-face meetings with staff and commission of the community centre, youth centre and district administration. I met with community members and monitored projects funded by Friends of Suai/Port Phillip. Whilst the situation in Dili remains stressed the rural people continue their daily life with meagre resources and welcomed the friendship and support from Port Phillip.

• The new building for the community centre is a good swap and an appropriate building. The building has plenty of light, good size rooms and land where additional buildings can be erected if required e.g. traditional building for meetings outdoors. A five year lease through the department of land and property  with an option to extend is being developed with the district administrator.  The District Administrator agreed the community can continue to use the traditional meeting space at the old site and recommended a new structure at the new site best for the long term.

• The nursery agro-forestry project is a real success with 10,000 seedlings being planted out. The main focus of the project was the 6,000 seedlings at Lela village and a further 4,000 seedlings were distributed in other sub districts. The media team (see project album) at the youth centre are documenting this on video. The agricultural officer would like to replicate the project with the aim of a permanent nursery. A new proposal building sustainability to deepen the impact will be considered for the new growing season.

• Ten orphaned children plus one young man with a disability are recipients of Friends of Suai education scholarships. Approx $5,000 for the duration of their education has been earmarked by FoS.

• 300 locally-made chairs were officially given by Fos/Port Phillip (see slides) to the public secondary school during my visit. The students gave enthusiastic applause at the mention of an ongoing relationship with Elwood College in Port Phillip who are also keen to make the link.

Photographs of the new library  for the Suai Secondary School, funded by Port Phillip residents through the Friends of Suai, was opened by Snr Virgillio Smith from the Department of Culture in Dili early this month.

The Friends of Suai is assisting with the acquisition of good books in the 4 main languages of Timor Leste through community donations to fill the shelves.

[Show as slideshow]

Melbourne academic and author Clinton Fernandes who was Consulting Historian for the new drama ‘Balibo’  to be premiered Opening Night of the Melbourne Film Festival.

Fernandes said : I was fortunate to work with film director Robert Connolly, who was committed to historical accuracy”

Robert Connolly (left) Clinton Fernandes

Now Fernandes has developed a website with clear and accurate information about Balibo in the pursuit of justice. In summary Fernandes says:

“This website provides some factual commentary for those who have seen the film and want to know more about the issues. It draws on the important work of East Timor’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. The Commission, known by its Portuguese initials C.A.V.R. (A Comissao de Acolhimento, Verdade e Reconciliaçao) was established as an independent statutory authority in July 2001 by the UN Transitional Authority in East Timor. It was mandated to inquire into human rights abuses committed by all sides between April 1974 and October 1999. Its official report, Chega! (Portuguese for ‘enough’), was written by national and international staff working under the direction and supervision of the CAVR’s seven East Timorese commissioners“.

“To Indonesian and East Timorese readers: we have some important things in common: a desire for a peaceful life, decent healthcare for all, a good education, a clean environment, meaningful relationships and a viable future for our children. I hope this website contributes to a better relationship among our three countries by allowing the truth to be known and justice to prevail“.

Greetings to all of you gathered today at the Suai Public Secondary School and to all teachers and learners in Suai.

Remember this Image? School Library comes to Fruition.

On this very special day in the life of your community, the opening of the new library we send you good wishes and warm regards from Friends of Suai – a small group linked with the Port Phillip Council in Melbourne, Australia.

The funds necessary for refurbishing the library were raised by Friends of Suai and substantial contributions were made by the Rotary Club of Balwyn Victoria, and Tanya Esden who worked on the community water project in Suai as well the residents of Port Phillip.

Today is just a beginning and our hope is that gradually this new library room will be stocked with a wide variety of books, DVDs and CD’s in ALL the main working languages of Timor Leste.

Perhaps one day, the wider community of Suai, old and young will be able to share in this wealth.

BILL ARMSTRONG (Chairman)
FOR THE FRIENDS OF SUAI COMMITTEE

Five Australian teachers of English language are volunteering to go to Suai, East Timor to

provide intensive four week training to English teachers in September 2009.

The City of Port Phillip sponsored community group Friends of Suai, have organised an

orientation over the next eight weeks to prepare the teachers for working in a developing

country with sessions on history, culture lifestyle and language.

Friends of Suai received a request from English teachers in Suai for the training and the

program has been endorsed by national government to provide an appropriate curriculum

suitable for the teachers. The Community Centre in Suai, supported by the City of Port Phillip

will host the teachers during their stay.

“The City of Port Phillip is committed to a ten year partnership to help rebuild Suai, which

suffered some of the worst excesses after the pro-independence vote in 1999,” said Mayor

Frank O’Connor. “Life is still difficult in the new nation but together we are making things

happen,” he said.

Friends of Suai Committee member Desleigh Kent and Jenny Green, a retired teacher will

share the role of team leaders on the upcoming trip. They have both visited Suai and are

looking forward to this new challenge and adventure.

“We have a wonderful group of teachers with a wealth of experience in teaching in China,

Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma all with insight and development experience,” said Desleigh.

“We are particularly pleased to represent Port Phillip at the 10 year commemoration of the

Suai massacre in September this year. It will be a significant time to be in Suai and an

important act of friendship,” he said.

The teachers will pay their own fares and expenses to go to East Timor and Friends of Suai

will provide accommodation transport and teaching resources whilst they are in country.

Most people speak at least three languages in East Timor with Tetun being the language

generally understood across the country. Both English and Portuguese are compulsory

languages in secondary schools and English is the international language that many Timorese

are keen to learn.

The teachers will start their orientation training on Friday 26 June at the St Kilda Town Hall.

Five English Language teachers for Suai 2009

It is with much pleasure and excitement that the Friends of Suai announce the team of Volunteers who will conduct the pilot Intensive English Language Program in Suai, Timor Leste in September 2009.

Congratulations to our team members: Jenny Green, Jennifer Jaensch Desleigh Kent, Helen Nankervis and Barbara Selvay. The friends of Suai would like to thank all those who indicated their interest in joining the team this year. The standard of applications was impressive as was the willingness of people to fund their own participation.
Other ways of helping: English Language text books and dictionaries

There is a need for appropriate teaching resources or class sets to be sent to Suai teachers. Can you help? Talk to Pat if you think you can help in some way.

Hosting a homestay for Timor English language students at Taylors College. Starting September 2009 for 20 weeks or part thereof, there are 7 students from various organisations in Timor. The have a rent allowance for homestay.

If you would like to remain on the occasional email group for Friends of Suai? Let Pat know: pjessen@portphillip.vic.gov.au .