About this Partner
Name:
Plan Timor-Leste
Aim:
Address issues affecting children and youth in East Timior. These issues Includes:
- Poor early childhood care and development
- Limited access to quality water and environmental sanitation services
- Low recognition of child rights and need to child protection
Background:
Plan Timor Leste is a subgroup of Plan Australia, one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world. Plan works in more than 49 developing countries helpinging communities to overcome poverty so that the children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Plan Timor Leste has been working in Timor-Leste since 2001. It has been working in camps for internally displaced people in the capital, Dili, since the political crisis of 2006.
As the emergency situation has stabilised and the camps are gradually being phased out, Plan is now helping to reintegrate displaced people into their communities. It currently implements projects in Lautem and Aileu districts.
Achievements and Focus
Why is this necessary?
- 5 out of 10 people don't have access to safe drinking water
- 7 out of 10 people don't have access to clean toilet
As a result, many children die from diarrhea. Women and children spend hours everyday walking to/from water, and many kids receive little or no education.
What are the goals of the project?
Build adequate facilities, especially in the rural regions, to provide safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education to communities.
- Improved sanitation and hygiene knowledge and practices in 107 villages and 21 associated primary schools.
- Improved and sustained access to sanitary facilities for the disposal of human excreta in 107 villages and 21 associated primary schools.
- Sustained access to safe and socially-inclusive water supply to households and schools provided in 107 villages with emphasis on productive water uses.
- Enhanced capacity of District Government offices, partners and community-based organisations to plan, implement and monitor improved WASH-sector improvements
What has been accomplished thus far?
- Education: Learning for Transformation: Children in Plan-assisted communities will participate fully in society through the acquisition of appropriate development, education and life skills
- Water and Environmental Sanitation: Children in Plan communities and their families will experience better health and greater wellbeing by reducing the incidence of water-borne diseases, providing adequate access to safe WES facilities, and improving hygiene.
- Child Protection: Children will live in safer and more secure environments as a result of their greater participation in community life, greater community understanding of child rights, and increased protection from human rights abuses.
- Youth in Society: Young people will participate more effectively in their own development and act as catalysts and key players in Timorese society.
- Youth Livelihoods: Young people will have access to adequate income and have the opportunity to participate productively in their communities, through the generation of training, employment and self-employment opportunities.
- Emergency Response/Disaster Risk Reduction: The impact of the current conflict and of future disasters will be mitigated by providing targeted support to those children and families most affected.
Where to next?
This position also will require regular visits to Alieu District to monitor WASH activities and to the head office in Dili to coordinate with other Plan Timor Leste programmes.
- Improving Plan local NGO partners’ capacity to undertake technical surveys, hydraulic analysis and quality construction works for both water supplies and sanitation facilities.
- Making recommendations on potential pilot technologies and plans to diffuse them at the District level.
- Understanding the Government of Timor-Leste’s policies and guidelines.
- Supporting the Plan WASH program to understand and communicate the guidelines for both water supply and sanitation with stakeholders in the Districts.
Making of a basic toilet
EWB Field Volunteer and Project Team
Doug Ruuska - Water and Sanitation Advisor - Plan TL
Doug is working with one of EWB’s partner organisations, PLAN in Timor Leste. Doug is based in the town of Aileu (90 minutes south of Dili) and will be working to further develop the local capacity in delivering water supply projects with local communities. Doug has worked in the water industry in Melbourne since graduating and is looking forward to transferring some knowledge whilst getting out about in rural Timor Leste.
Justin Modra - Water and Sanitation Advisor - Rural Water and Sanitation Program
Justin is excited to be working in Timor-Leste for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program (RWSSP). His role is to help build the technical capacity of local organisations working on various government water and sanitation systems. Justin has been involved as a volunteer with EWB for a number of years while also working as a mechanical engineer for a consultancy firm in Brisbane. He is hoping not to be attacked by a croc while snorkeling and diving the beautiful reefs of Timor-Leste.
Funders
