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With a real project gift from Plan you are giving hope to the children and families whose lives are being threatened in communities throughout East Africa.
Find out moreTimor-Leste
Priority Projects in Timor-Leste
Improving Hygiene, Sanitation and Access to Water in Timor-Leste
Empowering communities to improve their access to safe, sustainable water and sanitation, and to habitually practice good hygiene. This will help to reduce the rates of diarrhoea and water-borne...
Creating Opportunities for Young People in Timor-Leste
Supporting and strengthening youth organisations in Timor-Leste, therefore enabling young men and women to actively plan and participate in recreational activities and play a positive role in the...
Developing Work Skills for Young People in Timor-Leste
In a country with limited training and employment opportunities, this project supports young people to gain practical skills and establish small businesses within their rural districts.
Our plan in Timor-Leste
Plan began working in Timor-Leste (East Timor) in 2001 and currently has programs in the Aileu District and is also active in several communities in the three eastern districts. Plan's programs aim to address the following issues affecting children:
- Poor early childhood care and development
- Limited access to quality water and environmental sanitation services
- Low recognition of child rights and need to child protection
Plan’s programs and strategies to address these issues include:
Early childhood care and development
Plan Timor-Leste's program works to increase the access of children under five to home and centre-based early childhood care and development services. Plan also works to improve the quality of these services by establishing home-based programs which train parents to deliver services to children at home or within their neighbourhood and which improve parenting practices, creating a stimulating learning environment, training teachers, reviewing and enhancing curriculum, and developing infrastructure and strengthening support for early childhood services by organising parent support groups and coordinating bodies at all levels of governance.
Primary education
Plan Timor-Leste works to increase the access of six to twelve-year-old children to a functional and healthy primary education by building the capacity of teachers, school administrators and parent-teacher associations, developing safe and healthy learning environments which promote good hygiene and healthy lifestyles among students and providing support to the government for infrastructure development, especially the creation of stimulating learning environments in primary schools.
Water and environmental sanitation
Plan’s program aims to improve the health of children, their families and their communities by providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education by training communities to identify community-specific water and sanitation needs, develop good quality facilities, and assume ownership of them.
Child rights and protection
Plan Timor-Leste aims to secure the survival, protection and healthy development of children in the districts of Aileu, Baucau, Manatuto and Lautem by ensuring that they live in secure and safe environments. The program includes development of a strong national Child Protection Network to help its members identify children and families at risk and to respond appropriately to children who have experienced abuse. The program also conducted awareness-raising training and teaching on child rights.
Country Facts
| Country | Timor-Leste | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Flag |  |
 |
| Population | 887,000 | 21 Million |
| Language | Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English | English |
| Capital | Dili | Canberra |
| GDP per capita (USD/year) |
367 | $37,300 |
| Life expectancy | 56 | 81.5 |
| Access to safe drinking water |
58% | 100% |
| Literacy | 50.1% | 100% |
| Source: | United Nations: Millennium Development Goals Report 2006 | |
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