DILI, june 30, 2022 (TATOLI)- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), together with Eight Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today unveiled the results of their 2022 research study, developed as part of the Timor-Leste NGO and USAID Good Government activity to collect evidence to support policy advocacy in their respective fields.
USAID Mission Director Zema Semunegus, inform that the research covers a wide- range of issues important for Timorese society, including access to education and health for people with disabilities, mechanisms for dispute resolution water access, protection of children from sexual violence, access to vocational training for rural youth, community monitoring of local infrastructure projects and access to markets for rural agricultural producers.
Semunegus added the results of these studies will be used to improve advocacy and collaboration with the government of Timor – Leste to address these issues and better serve Timorese citizens.
“Through sharing their research with government counterparts and key stakeholders, the NGOs hope to strengthen their partnership in policy making and provide greater visibility to the needs and priorities of the citizens that they represent,’’ USAID Mission Director Zema Semunegus told a reporter at Hotel Timor, Colmera, Dili on thursday.
“Evidence-based research is critical to developing successful advocacy, it allows organizations to know which outcomes to push for in their advocacy, and helps to better understand the citizen motivations, barriers, and leverage points that can achieve positive incomes. Furthermore, the results from the studies can provide convincing evidence for government officials and other decision-makers to adopt new policies and implement recommendations, fostering effective collaboration and constructive engagement between NGOs and the Government of Timor – Leste,’’ she said.
With this program, USAID had supported $ 9.5 million to the Eight NGOs to run the programs of advocacy studies, developed as part of the USAID Timor – Leste NGO activities for Good Government Activity to gather evidence to support policy advocacy in their respective fields during five years from 2020 -2025 and committed to continue this program in the upcoming future.
“The USAID / Timor – Leste NGO Advocacy for Good Government Activity is supporting Timorese NGOs to increase the organizational and administrative capacities, improve their advocacy, research analysis, and networking capacities for better response to a constituent; foster more diverse and regular revenue streams; and create an enabling environment that fosters independent NGOs,’’ she concludes.
The Executive Director of SAS CAS, Daniel Carmo, said that SASCAS ‘s support for NGOs is not sufficient, therefore SAS CAS is committed to working with international partners including USAID to support NGO activity programs in assisting the Government to develop Timor Leste‘s national development during this time.
“We will support the reports and recommendations from NGOs on Advocacy for Good Governance Activities and then the Government of Timor-Leste will continue to cooperate with NGOs and partners to build Timor-Leste’s development process together,” he said.
The Government of Timor – Leste through SASCAS will continue to support all NGOs’ activities to work together to increase their organizational and administrative capacities to be more active in controlling the program of Government to work more efficiently and transparency in doing the good governance in Timor – Leste.
“Therefore, on behalf of the Government and NGOs, I thanked the USAID in Timor – Leste to continue to work with the Government and NGOs to develop the national development process across the Timor – Leste,’’ he conclude.
At the same place the executive Director of the Association Disability of Timor – Leste (ADTL) Sezario da Silva, said ADTL will use the result of the study about access to education for people with disabilities in the country to better understand the real challenges that people with disabilities face accessing education in the country
“ADTL will also use the evidence to continue advocating and working with the relevant authorities to improve access to education for this segment of the population,’’ said the Executive Director, Sezario da Silva.
Meanwhile, the eight NGOs supported by USAID are Assosiasaun Defensensia Timor – Leste (ADTL), Belun, Community Based Rehabilitation Network Timor – Leste (CBRNTL), Fundação Hafoun Timor – Leste (FHTL), Judicial System Monitoring Programme (JSMP), Many Hand One Nation (MAHON), Mata Dalan Institute (MDI) and Programa Spesifiku fo Prioridade ba Ema Kiak (PROSPEK).
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor : Nelia
