International Relations

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Centro Communidade Covalima (Community Centre Covalima)

     

"Given the sorry history of colonialism, we needed to be guided by what the people of Suai wanted and proceed at a pace they wanted. Setting up the infrastructure for the people of Suai to manage their own affairs was paramount." David Spokes former CEO 2001-2008.

Friends of Suai sponsored the refurbishment of the Suai Community Centre which was completed in late 2001.  In 2007 the SCC moved to a new site and was renamed Centro Communidade Covalima. 

Planning for the future

Building civic democracy in a post-conflict situation involves long-term planning. A community meeting at the CCC of around 20 people in February 2010 expressed a strong desire to continue the relationship with Friends of Suai. The leadership group would like to decentralise more activities to rural areas and boost agricultural programs. In May, more than 100 people from all seven sub-districts came together to plan for the next ten years.

Plans under discussion for Covalima by the Government of Timor Leste

The major supply base for Timor Sea oil may be located nearby on the coast. Plans for a port, major airport and the rebuilding of the Dili-Suai road are under discussion.

A polytechnic for Covalima is planned for 2012 and there’s talk of petroleum management and agriculture as a focus for the college. The District of Covalima is targeted by the government as a potential major agricultural supplier both in food crops and livestock supplying both the oil and gas industry, and the capital Dili.

The pace of development of the district depends on the outcome of negotiations between the East Timorese Government and the oil companies. Otherwise development will continue to be dependent on government priorities and capacity.

Building community

Since 2001, the Community Centre Covalima (CCC) has provided leadership and direction to projects funded through Friends of Suai. Activities meet basic needs, provide skills and promote sustainable development.

The centre is host to many community based organizations and non-government organizations and provides valuable meeting place for training and community meetings to discuss advocacy and planning for community activities.

Small Grants

The CCC also considers and recommends to FoS proposals from community organisations in Covalima for small sustainable, targeted projects that will benefit the social and economic well being in their communities. Add Projects page link here

Education also happens out of school

Computer and English classes have been the mainstay of the Suai Community Centre since 2001. The City of Port Phillip and Infoxchange Australia have kept up a steady supply of computers. In 2009, FoS funded five Suai trainees in computer hardware and software at InfoTimor in Baucau.

InfoTimor Covalima

Through the newly - established IT Covalima at the Community Centre, ‘freeware’ is being installed on recycled computers from the City of Port Phillip and InfoXchange. IT Covalima sells the rebuilt computers and offers training in the new free Linux software provided by Ubuntu whose patron is Nelson Mandela.

Since June 2009, broadband internet has been available at both the community and youth centres, thanks to the International Centre for Journalists in Dili.

Taking Steps: Empowering Rural Women in Timor-Leste to Access Sustainable Livelihoods Program’ Taking Steps commenced in April 2009 and is funded by International Women’s Development Agency from Australia.The CCC is enabled to employ a women’s program coordinator and support worker  to coordinate the program.

The purpose of Taking Steps is to enable rural women in Timor-Leste to come together to share experiences and information about approaches, achievements and challenges in accessing sustainable livelihoods with a view to realizing the skills and resources that are available to them and developing strategies to be better able to make use of those skills and resources. The strategies of the women’s groups will then inform community action, government decision-making and donor support. The program particularly seeks to encourage the participation of young women in community and public life and to support the contribution of rural women’s voices in national discussions with a view to influencing government and donor priorities and decision-making in regard to sustainable livelihoods. IWDA Project site