BAUCAU, 28 february 2022 (TATOLI) – The communities in Baucau Municipality appreciated the support given by the Government of Australia, through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) Covid-19 Response Project to combat the transmission of the coronavirus in Baucau.
During the emergency situation, the AHP Covid-19 Response Project was implemented by World Vision to distribute hygiene kits, including face masks, soaps, hand sanitizer, hand washing buckets, and water tanks to the communities in Baucau municipality.
Sister Stefani Bernadetha Puspanintyas, the Director of “SINT MARIE” Primary School, one of the special schools for hearing and speech impairment students in Timor-Leste, thanked the World Vision for the provision of the water tank, saying it helped her students to regularly wash hands before entering school.
“On behalf of my students, I would like to thank World Vision for supporting our school with a water tank, water tap, and the school materials. This water tank helped us a lot, particularly during the Covid-19, such as when our children washed their hands before entering the classrooms,” Puspanintyas told TATOLI in Buruma, Baucau municipality.
In addition, the Principal of Laga Public High School, Ernesto Castro, informed that all of the hygiene kits provided by World Vision were essential for her teachers and students to prevent the spread of germs during the COVID-19 pandemic: “We thank World Vision for all the support.”
Furthermore, Liborio Mario da Silva, a nurse at the Laga Health Care Center, in Laga Administrative Post, informed that the cooperation between Laga Health Care Center and World Vision was focused on raising the awareness of the communities in local areas to mitigate the Covid-19.
“Together with World Vision, we implemented a number of programs, including Covid-19 Advocacy, Covid-19 Simulation Exercises, horticulture, and local chicken farming,” he said.
Silva added both parties jointly raised the awareness of the communities on the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccines: “We informed the communities to not trust fake news on social media about the Covid-19 vaccines, and convinced them to visit the nearest vaccination centers to get vaccinated.”
Silva thanked World Vision for motivating rural communities to not miss their vaccination sessions.
AHP NGOs operating in Timor-Leste are Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia, World Vision Australia, Caritas Australia (CAN-DO), and CARE Australia. Activities are being implemented with communities and local governments in the Oecusse, Covalima, Aileu, Lautem, Bobonaro, and Viqueque municipalities, as well as nationally.
The implementation of the AHT Covid-19 Response Project commenced in june 2020 and was expected to be concluded in march 2022.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
