Current projects include
- The Teacher Exchange Scholarship Program
- Teaching English in Ossu
- Publications
- Health
Timor-Leste’s teacher exchange – Constancio
In March 2019 Constancio joined us from our Timor- Leste’s teacher exchange program selected from teachers in Ossu. This program is an exchange of ideas and teaching methodologies, with Constancio taking part in school visits, discussion, English language learning and understanding of Australian culture.
His visit included highlights like meeting the teachers and students at Castle Cove Public School & Willoughby Girls High School, discussions with Willoughby Mayor, Gail Giles-Gidney, a trip to UNSW and tours of our beautiful environment like the Manly headland and Centennial Park.
We were also fortunate to share the local Fauna Fair with Constancio, where the Friends of Ossu took the opportunity to share the message of our work together in Timor Leste, and gather support.
2020 Teacher Exchange Program: Update
We were ready and excited for the 2020 Ossu teacher to arrive in March, many local schools had been engaged to take part, but due to COVID 19 this has been postponed to next year. The health and safety of our friends in Ossu remains most important.
Teaching English in Ossu
Steve Darmody is a member of the Willoughby Friends of Ossu, and is also a volunteer English teacher with a love of music. Steve sometimes uses music as a means to teach the kids English, finding suitable songs that help provide an understanding of English sentence structure. This clip is of secondary school students at Canossa Colege (Escola Secondaria Santa Madelena de Canossa) singing I am a Child Of Timor (Ha’u Timor Oan).
His trip has been made possible, partly by ClubsGRANTS Funding from Chastwood RSL club, as well as funds raised by the Friends.
Publications
Manual de Resumo’ de Bilogia
Memensio Sequeira Freitas, a professor at the General Secondary School of Olocassa Ossu and Joa da Costa professor at the Sao Pedro School in Dill launched the Biology Summary Manual for High School.
Published in Timor- Leste this book has been written in Portuguese and covers a broad spectrum of biology topics for secondary school students including biodiversity, evolution, and classification.
The Willougby Friends of Ossu are pleased to support this publication through the donation of funds to produce copies for local schools. We thank the Ministry of Education Timor Leste for their involvement and support.
Friends across the Timor Sea: A history of Friendship Groups
The Friendship Book, “Friends across the Timor Sea: A history of Friendship Groups” has been published. The 70 page book was showcased by Ambassador Abel Guterres during an official reception in Melbourne, as part of his State Visit June 2019. Copies of the book have be distributed to the 35 active Friendship Groups, and we are delighted to be part of it.
Great to see all the projects underway. Collaboration by the Australian Timor-Leste Friendship Network Inc, State Government Victoria, and Australian Embassy Timor-Leste.
Health
Health Clinic Donation
We continue to support the Ossu Health Clinic, and they have recently been able to secure additional preventative essential COVID 19 supplies.
WASH
Willoughby Friends of Ossu engaged WaterAid Timor-Leste to conduct an assessment of access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Ossu town. The objectives of this assessment were:
- To establish contact with key stakeholders,
- To conduct a technical assessment of water supply infrastructure and develop options for water supply to schools,
- To determine the demand for and scope of WaSH programs within the local schools, including improvement of facilities and WaSH education.
The assessment showed very poor, high-risk water supply and recommended actions to improve the WASH services to the Ossu community, with a specific focus on local schools and health facilities. All drinking water in Ossu is highly contaminated.
Uaiquirona System Rehabilitation
Willoughby Friends of Ossu’s first priority is to repair the Uaiquirona System. The existing system has many informal connections and leakage points, which require rehabilitation. Works would also include rehabilitation of tanks (e.g. tank 3 has been disconnected/bypassed) and provision of distribution lines and tap stands so the community can access water which is not polluted.
This will provide water and facilities, toilets and hand washing to two secondary schools, which at present have no working toilets.
Education
Knowledge sharing about WASH issues in schools, especially about health and hygiene is a priority of the WASH project. A Training of Trainers (ToT) approach is proposed to encourage the community to take ownership of the process and enable student leaders to share information through peer-to-peer learning. However the essential item is that Willoughby Friends of Ossu is providing clean water.
Information sessions and activities cover:
- Correct hand washing with soap techniques,
- How disease spreads,
- Correct use of toilets,
- Link between water contamination and health, and
- Menstrual hygiene management.
The outcome is to create change agents within the student body who advocate for improved sanitation and hygiene behaviour among their peers, the school and the wider community. Activities include disability access demonstrations, and games to prompt discussion about male and female WASH-related needs and norms. Discussing these themes with students encourages changes in attitudes, and builds expectations within the student body of equal rights and roles in decision-making which also influences the broader community.
Take a look at the WaterAid video to see their programs in Timor-Leste.
Health Literacy & Teacher Training
Together with Mary MacKillop International, we have delivered Literacy Training Workshops and Health and Music Education Workshop for 90 teachers in the Ossu sub-district. These programs are improving access to teacher training on how to teach literacy and the mother tongue. Teachers proceed with teaching skills in how to teach health especially through introductory music to the classroom.
Tetum Literacy and Teacher Training
Many languages are spoken across Timor-Leste. Tetum has become a common language used in schools. Mother tongue learning is developing literacy far better than other methods.
The Mary McKillop Sisters at Becora TL have produced beautifully illustrated Tetum story books and readers. They have their own teacher trainers. We have started distributing these books to Ossu district schools and have arranged the training of teachers. All schools in the Ossu subdistrict will soon have received Tetum materials and training with our help.
Teacher Exchange Scholarship Program
In May 2017 Rosito Ruas, a high school teacher from Ossu visited Willoughby thanks to a grant from the Chatswood RSL ClubGRANTS program. During Rosito’s three week stay, he was able to participate in classes with Chatswood High School, Chatswood Intensive English Centre, Mercy College and Willoughby Girls High School. Here he discovered how classes run in Australia and he was also able to share his culture with many students, who were keen to learn about East Timor. Rosito also met Willoughby Mayor, In 2018 WFOO is looking to provide scholarships for two teachers from Ossu to travel to Australia.
