OECUSSE, 24 November 2025 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE), through the General Directorate of Environment, officially launched three new programs in the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse-Ambeno (RAEOA): Green Villages, Green Schools, and Environmental Brigades. The initiative carries the theme “Strengthening the Role of Communities, Students, and Youth in Local Environmental Protection and Conservation for Sustainable Development.”
Domingos Mesquita, Director of the General Directorate of Environment, explained during the ceremony at Pante Makasar Hall in Oecusse that the programs are designed to be implemented progressively across schools, villages, and youth groups.
“To protect and conserve our environment, we must begin from the grassroots and expand upward. This official launch marks the start of a long-term effort, year by year, school by school, and village by village,” Mesquita said.
Green Schools
Under the Green Schools program, MTA teams will provide training for students and teachers on environmental science, climate change, and local ecological challenges. Following the training, schools will receive support through public subsidies to improve sanitation, hygiene, and water facilities. The program also envisions competitions among schools to encourage innovation in environmental practices.
Green Villages
The Green Villages initiative aims to integrate environmental conservation with tourism services at the community level. Villages, as the closest representation of the state in people’s daily lives, will be supported to identify their main environmental challenges and develop solutions with small-scale funding assistance.
Environmental Brigades
The Environmental Brigades will recruit youth volunteers to work alongside MTA in monitoring and addressing environmental issues in their respective villages.
“We provide scientific knowledge and capacity building, then deploy them to the field as volunteers. They act as the hands and eyes of the state and government, ensuring attention to local environmental and social problems,” Mesquita emphasized.
Coordination with Education Authorities
Cebastião Icu, Head of Human Resources and Finance at the Regional Directorate of Education and Social Solidarity, representing RAEOA authorities, welcomed the initiative and stressed the importance of coordination with the education sector.
“These three topics are directly linked to Oecusse’s education programs. If training is conducted in schools, teachers and education services must be involved to ensure effective implementation. We want schools to be clean, green, and vibrant, and this program helps us achieve that,” Icu stated.
Next Steps
According to MTA’s agenda, the first training and awareness sessions will begin on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at the Oecusse Agricultural Technical School (ETARO), before expanding to villages across the region.
Journalist: Abílio Elo Nini
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
