DILI, 11 august 2021 (TATOLI)-The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) together with the State Secretariat of Social Communication (SECOMS) plan to develop the Municipality Training Center/Sentru Informasaun SuKu (SIS) in Timor Leste to involve children and young people to have access to digital literacy.
UNICEF representative in TL, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani explained that the collaboration between SEKOMS and UNICEF has been ongoing since 2010 in different fields of communication such as radio, TV, providing information services in dealing with COVID-19.
“To increase this collaboration, we will focus on digital literacy, well used of the internet and also how to work together to facilitate SIS, which will certainly involve children and young people,” Bilal told reporters at the SEKOMS Hall today.
He added that UNICEF wishes to carry out these plans very soon, but it needs to conduct an ongoing survey about the internet users in the villages and also find out the direct impact of the internet on children and young people.
“We need to conduct a national survey to see the data before the plan is implemented,” he said.
Secretary of State for SEKOMS, Mericio Juvinal Akara also appreciated the initiative from UNICEF to continue to assist the communication services in TL to ensure the welfare of children and young people.
“Previously UNICEF has Community Radio and we wish to plan a new idea where to work together in digital literacy so that children and young people in the village can have access about digital literacy,” he explained.
On this occasion, the Secretary of State of SEKOMS also invited UNICEF Representatives to make a joint visit to SIS in Manufahi Municipality, Rotutu Same, and participate in the Naroman ba Suku Program.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
