Dili, 12 october 2023 – As part of the ongoing Dili International Film Festival, UNICEF supported President Horta’s agenda on Early Childhood Development (ECD), through the screening of “The Beginning of Life”, a documentary which explores the impact of a child’s early environment on their cognitive, social and emotional development.
José Ramos-Horta, the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste; Mariano Assanami Sabino, Vice-Prime Minister and the Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing; Amândio de Sá Benevides, Minister of Justice; Dulce de Jesus Soares, Minister of Education; Elia A. A. dos Reis Amaral, Minister of Health; Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, Foreign Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs; Expedito Dias Ximenes, Secretary of State for Social Communication; Marc Fiedrich Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union; Philip Hewitt, New Zealand Ambassador, Grisel Alina Aldama Innis, Cuban Ambassador, Caitlin Wilson The Australian Charge d’Affaires, Sakollawat Tongcharroen, Charge d’Affaires of the Kingdom of Thailand, Wan Hadfi Latif, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, and other dignitaries attended the screening of this informative documentary. UNICEF supported the production of this documentary, which was filmed in nine countries to help give a global perspective about the importance of the early years. Maternity leave, the role of the father, co-parenting, poverty, children’s rights, violence, and neglect are among the topics addressed in the documentary.
In Timor-Leste, ECD is gaining a lot of traction, with Mariano Assanami Sabino, Vice-Prime Minister and the Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing, recently announced the setting up of a multi-sectoral National Steering Committee for Early Childhood Development (ECD) in line with the priorities of the IX Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste – a first step in the right direction. Similarly, President Horta announced his Presidential vision in 2022 as “a Timor-Leste where no child dies at birth, and where every child is healthy, well-nourished, learning and safe”.
In his remarks, UNICEF Country Representative, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, highlighted the urgency for integrated ECD services to support the optimum growth and development of every child in Timor-Leste.
“Prioritising pro-poor ECD interventions, is the much-needed steppingstone out of disadvantages which many children live through, and it is also a cost-efficient way to boost Timor-Leste’s progress towards attaining national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” said Durrani.
During the event, children from Canossa Primary School presented the dignitaries with symbolic plants, which serve as a reminder that children are like plants – just as plants need air, soil, and water to survive, children also need health, nutrition, learning and protection to survive.
The screening of “The Beginning of Life” was a great opportunity for policy makers, Government officials and Civil Society Leaders in Timor-Leste to gain a deeper understanding of how the next generation of Timorese can be supported to grow and develop to their full potential as responsible, capable, and outstanding citizens of tomorrow.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
