UPDATE No. 43

April 2016

Building Strong Communities in -Leste and

For your Diary continues its journey the Friends of Laulara, Merri Health,

Anniversary Fundraising towards decentralisation Campaspe Association in Friendship and the Echuca Hospital. Forum and Dinner: Congratulations to Sr Joao Tilman do Friday 6 May, 7-10pm, Rego, the newly appointed Municipal Brunswick Town Hall Manager, who will now lead the Municipality of Aileu through the

Key Note Address by decentralisation process. Timor-Leste Ambassador,

Sr Abel Guterres, with a Panel addressing the topic:

“Australia / Timor-Leste

Community Partnerships:

Looking to the Future“

Tickets $50 / $25 Mothers and babies stand exposed to For updates and more the weather while waiting outside the Laulara Birthing Centre information including The service provided by the birthing how to obtain tickets: centre doctors and midwives has please visit Sr Joao Tilman do Rego (L) receiving proven very popular with the his commission from Vice-minister www.moreland.vic.gov.au/ community, and has helped improve friends-of-aileu Sr Thomas Cabral (Aileu Jan 2016) the health of many mothers and check out Best wishes also to Sr Martinho www.facebook.com/friendsofaileu babies from Laulara, and also from Matos, who has stepped down after nearby areas including the fringes of or contact many years distinguished service as [email protected] . District Administrator to take up Next Friends of Aileu alternative duties in Dili.

Community Committee Buy Wild Timor Coffee meeting online and support The meeting previously completion of the Laulara planned for June will now be held on: Birthing Centre

Tuesday 5 July 6-9pm The Wild Timor Coffee’s online sales Hume Global Learning have recently funded the construction of a much needed water supply Centre, Broadmeadows system for the company’s supplier Access to professional maternal and when the Project Officer will community in Belumahatu, Aileu. child health care is a new and report on a mid-year trip to During the coming months the online welcome experience for many Aileu to prepare for visits by sales will be dedicated to supporting You can drink to the health of partner organisations completion of safe access steps and Aileu’s future generations including Merri Health Board, a sheltered external waiting area at with: North Richmond Community the Aileu Municipal Health Service’s Health oral health education Laulara Birthing Centre. team and CERES Global, and The birthing centre is housed in a for participation in the Dili formerly derelict building recently Friendship Conference on renovated and equipped with Orders: 17-18 August 2016. contributions from Friends of Aileu www.wildtimorcoffee.com and partner organisations including where Every Bean Counts

Building strong communities in Timor-Leste and Australia

Developments in the Technology Institute, Rotaract and Working with other community to community University Students Association and Australian partners other groups of younger people. friendship relationship Friends of Aileu works with a range

of partner organisations, businesses The Friends of Aileu Strategy Plan and community networks based in was recently updated to ensure it reflects both our communities’ Australia, Timor-Leste and Aileu. priorities for the period beyond The friendship relationship also 2015.Inputs received on the involves close cooperation with Strategy Plan from Aileu, and other groups, especially the during the review in Moreland and Kangaroo Valley Remexio Hume, supported an increasing Partnership, Friends of Laulara, the the focus on sharing our cultures Campaspe East Timor Association and experiences and on involving in Friendship and Campaspe Shire younger people, alongside a Newer initiatives include: Council, the Melbourne East continuation of collaborations to  exploring ways to support Timorese Activity Centre and the support education, community community art development and Timorese Association in Victoria. health and sustainability. exchange with younger people, The support of Moreland and Hume and City Councils and the involvement  the connections and activities officers from various Council emerging through the CERES departments is also of great value, Global community engagement especially to support the local visits, which will this year see a government relationship, and to help sharing of interests and expertise gain community involvement for in permaculture design, music Continuing relationships and initiatives in the youth, community performance and the use of IT for and maternal health, and library and activities social impact and sustainability. learning fields. Continuing engagements include Strengthening the support for activities such as:  the scholarship assistance relationships between programs, local governments

 the Aileu Resource and Training th On 8 April 2016 the Mayors of Centre’s staff development, Moreland and Hume City Councils education, cultural, economic signed the Municipal Agreements and environmental programs, between their Councils and the  the Uma Ita Nian Parish Clinic Government of Timor-Leste. during its transition to local management and for its clinic Under the Municipal Agreements the two Councils: and community outreach programs,  are in early April each hosting two For more information about  collaborations with the Municipal senior Timor-Leste civil servants as part of a series of work based the Friends of Aileu, and to Health Service including find out how you can completion of the Laulara placements being managed by the Victorian Government; participate you: Birthing Centre and the ongoing oral health education project  have agreed to work with Aileu may visit involving Aileu schools, and Municipality to support it through www.moreland.vic.gov.au/  locally managed village lighting the decentralisation process as the friends-of-aileu schemes implemented with ATA. transition to full local government status and responsibility proceeds; check out Emerging relationships and  will in future look to support other www.facebook.com/friendsofaileu activities which aim to involve mutually beneficial staff or more young people development activities and contact the Project Officer Newer relationships are being exchanges to promote the sharing at [email protected] gradually developed with others of knowledge and expertise with or on Tel: 9240 1111 such as the Aileu Science and Aileu Municipality.