Friends of Suai/Covalima | Community

Friends of Suai/Covalima

Phone: +61 3 9209 6598

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22.01.2022 The CCC has been a hive of activity for young people in the last few weeks. Although secondary schools in Covalima have reopened, many students have reduced class contact hours due to social distancing requirements. As a result, enrolments in English language and computer classes at the CCC have grown significantly as many young people want to spend their time learning and connecting. Very inspiring.

20.01.2022 We are delighted to tell you that at a Council meeting earlier this month the Councillors voted in favour of formally extending the friendship between the Port Phillip and Covalima communities for a further ten years. We are now organising the signing of a Statement of Friendship and MOU between the municipalities of Port Phillip and Covalima. We had hoped to arrange a formal signing ceremony however this has proved challenging due to COVID-19 restrictions. We do however, hope that we will have images to share with you in the coming weeks, along with updates on the programs that we are supporting through the CCC. Thank you to everyone for your continued support for our friendship!

20.01.2022 A lot has been happening in Covalima over the last few weeks and we have lots of updates from the CCC to share with you. Here are some great shots from the WithOneSeed nursery in Lalawa. There are 11,000 seedlings growing in the nursery, which will be distributed in early 2021.

13.01.2022 From 12pm, Tuesday 22 September the City Of Port Phillip will enter into the Election Period prior to the October 2020 (Local Government) Council election. The Local Government Act 2020 provides direction about what kind of information can be published by Council or using Council resources during the Election Period. These resources include social media. In order to avoid any potential breaches of the Act, all material published to Council-managed social media, including comments on posts, will be closely moderated during the Election Period. Any posts relating to the election, electoral matter or election candidates will be blocked or removed. The FoSC social media will resume regular operation from Monday 26 October 2020.

12.01.2022 ‘It was passion and principle that development be done smart and benefit the people to whom all this activity was ostensibly for.’ Heartfelt words for James Scambary by Gordon Peake... gone too soon, but has left a true legacy especially his work in Timor-Leste.

10.01.2022 Today marks the 21st anniversary of the Suai church massacre which occurred one week after the independence vote in 1999. On this day we remember the sacrifices made by our friends in their struggle for independence. In 2011, Lynn Wallace-Clancy and her husband Dermot Clancy spent six months in Suai as volunteers in the Friends of Suai/Covalima English language teaching program at the CCC. They were in Suai on 6 September and Lynn's recollection of the experience is in th...e FoSC 20-year commemorative publication and the recently launched book titled ‘Friendship for Development’ by Ann Wigglesworth. Here is an edited extract: ‘The commemoration of the Suai massacre on 6 September 2011 in Suai is one of my strongest memories. It felt like the whole town crowded into the church and grounds. The new church was still under construction and the building being used as a church was small and hot. Most people sat on the floor. The service was long and of course there was music one of the wonderful local choirs who sing with such passion in Timor-Leste. There were lots of young people and the school band led the town to the memorial of the massacre. The tall memorial itself sits in the main street of Suai but on that day it was only just visible under a sea of flower petals everyone had come with armfuls of flower petals to scatter. People wept and remembered and honoured those who had been unwitting victims of Timor’s unswerving fight for freedom. That night, tiny lights flickered and glowed everywhere in the town as the people of Suai lit candles in front of their houses to commemorate those who have died in their family, frequently right where the candles flickered. Seeing what looked like the whole town glowing with tiny lights brought home to me what sacrifices the people of Timor Leste had made for their freedom’.

10.01.2022 A lovely reminder of what can be achieved through community to community connections and friendship.

07.01.2022 We are having an online silent auction to raise funds for our scholarship program. Next week we will share information on how to view the items and register to participate. Bidding will open on 27 Nov and close on 6 Dec. We have a fantastic range of items to bid on and there is something for everyone!

05.01.2022 Some great shots here from the With One Seed team preparing seedlings in nursery in Lalawa village. Last year 10,000 seedlings were grown and distributed to local farmers early in 2020. Another 10,000 seedlings are now being prepared for planting next year in Lalawa and Beiseuc villages. We look forward to sharing updates. MORE TREES PLEASE!

04.01.2022 We would like to congratulate the Finance team at the CCC on their excellent preparation for the annual external audit of all CCC programs. The team have worked hard throughout the year to maintain clear and accurate records and to transition to using Quickbooks. The audit went smoothly and they are awaiting the report. Parabens!

04.01.2022 The CCC work partnership with IWDA to deliver the Rural Women's Development Program. As part of the program, more than 50 women have participated in leadership training, with the objective of increasing women's confidence to participate in decision making in village councils and the broader community. Parabens to all of the women involved in this fantastic program.

03.01.2022 A Civic Health Fund has been established at the CCC to fund ongoing initiatives to promote health and hygiene. A training program was delivered this week to 17 students and was a great success. Participants practiced handwashing techniques and have been encouraged to share their learning with their families and in their villages. This is really important work to reinforce earlier messaging and to protect vulnerable communities. Although cases of COVID-19 in Timor-Leste remain low, the land border between Covalima district and Indonesia continues to pose a threat.