DILI, 18 February 2025 – (TATOLI) – Recognizing the urgent need to protect children in digital spaces, ChildFund Timor-Leste and its implementing partner Alumni Parlamentu Foinsa’e Timor-Leste (APFTL), in collaboration with Instituto para a Defesa dos Direitos da Criança I.P. (INDDICA, I.P.) launched the Swipe Safe App, a groundbreaking digital tool designed to help children, youth, parents, and educators navigate the online world safely and responsibly. The launch took place during the second annual Seminar on Child Online Protection in City 8, Dili, held to commemorate Safer Internet Day 2025.
The seminar aims to promote the adoption of the Swipe Safe modules and app by government stakeholders, encouraging their integration into the national curriculum. It also seeks to foster greater policy support and inter-ministerial collaboration on child online safety issues, ultimately creating a safer and more secure online environment for children across Timor-Leste.
The app, along with the Swipe Safe manuals was formally handed over to the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Culture by the Australian Deputy Ambassador, Edward Wilkinson, symbolizing a strong commitment to protecting children in the digital environment. The app offered a dynamic and interactive approach to online safety education, featuring gamified elements, real-time feedback, and practical advice. It empowered young users to develop essential digital literacy skills while fostering responsible online behavior. Designed to be inclusive and accessible, the app caters to the diverse needs of Timor-Leste’s young population.
In addition to the app launch, the seminar featured a live talk show with key stakeholders from the Ministry of Youth, Arts, Sport and Culture, Instituto para a Defesa dos Direitos da Criança, Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ) and Ministry of Transport and Communications through TIC Timor, discussing the government’s role in child online protection, government policies and programs currently in place. Focus group discussions were conducted, involving multi-sector stakeholders from government agencies, child protection workers and children. The session facilitated knowledge sharing and generated collaborative strategies for enhancing child online protection in Timor-Leste. Participants explored pressing questions regarding the current state of child online safety, the specific needs to improve digital protection, and visions for creating a safer and more secure digital environment for the nation’s children.
The voices of young people were a central feature of the event. Children who had completed Swipe Safe training shared personal testimonies, highlighting the program’s positive impact on their understanding of online safety. Additionally, youth facilitators demonstrated the Swipe Safe App and educational materials to attendees, providing hands-on experience of the platform’s features.
The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders committed to child online safety, including government representatives from MJDAC, the Ministry of Justice, the Australian Government, PDHJ, INDDICA, and TIC Timor. NGOs and international organizations such as UNICEF, Ba Futuru, The Asia Foundation, FOKUPERS, Sentru Formasaun Knua Buka Hatene, Catholic Relief Services, PRADET, ChildFund International in Indonesia, AJHJ-TL, CARE in Timor-Leste, and Plan International also participated. Additionally, private sector partners like Telkomcel, as well as students, teachers from Dili and Lautém, and media representatives were in attendance.
ChildFund Timor-Leste’s Swipe Safe project has already reached 75 percent of the 5,000 targeted children in Dili and Lautém, as well as 65 percent of the 1,000 parents and caregivers. The initiative is part of a regional effort that began in Vietnam and has since expanded to Cambodia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste, with the goal of empowering children and their communities to navigate the digital environment safely.
This program is funded by the Australian Government through DFAT-ANCP (Australian Aid).
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