UNICEF, in collaboration with Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion and NGO Ba Futuru work together to strengthen community-based interventions to protect children and their families from violence

Dili, Friday, 30 September 2022. Today, UNICEF in collaboration with Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) and NGO Ba Futuru, conducted Positive Impact Workshop in John Paul II conference center, with the objective to present results and impacts of the Community Based Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) intervention in reducing violence against children and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which have been implemented trough Child Friendly Spaces (CFS). The workshop was attended 61 CFS volunteers, community leaders where the CFS are located, along with entities from MSSI, civil society organizations and development partners, including European Union and UNICEF. 

Initially the CFS were implemented in April 2021 after Timor-Leste was hit by massive flood, due to Seroja Cyclone, where 31,029 households across the country have been affected—of those, 82% are in Dili municipality, and damaging multiple critical public infrastructure. This all happened, while the country was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Once the flood had receded and the families with their children began slowly to move back to their homes, there was need to ensure that children still receive necessary support and protection from domestic violence, child abuse and neglect.

Therefore, in July 2021, with the support of the Spotlight Initiative, UNICEF and the MSSI, in partnership with Ba Futuru, developed the community-based MHPSS interventions and tailored a toolbox to support children and families in vulnerable and emergency settings, in concordance with the Child and Family Welfare Policy, where the government commits to encouraging community-based programming, aiming at preventing and addressing domestic violence, child abuse and neglect. To date, Community-based MHPSS activities are hold in 16 child friendly spaces, 61 trained volunteers provide support to ided support to more than 1800 children and their parents.

“The objective of the CFS is to provide psycho-social support   for children and their parents who were affected by the floods or are living in vulnerable settings, with access to structured play, recreation, and leisure, in a way that strengthened their resilience and existing protective factors”, explained Mr. Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, UNICEF Country Representative in Timor-Leste. 

Although the Community based MHPSS were mainly designed for children, the intervention also includes sessions for parents to better understand their children’s emotional needs and increase their ability to talk about challenges, change gender norms and seek help. It also provides parents with positive coping skills to care for their mental health. Through it, parents receive parenting sessions such as child protection, nutrition, early stimulation, hygiene, positive discipline, health, education, and adolescent issues. 

Prior to the implementation of the activities, the volunteers had to undergo intensive training in Psychological First Aid and facilitation methods. They were equipped with knowledge and skills to provide MHPSS to the children and to facilitate the parenting session. The Volunteers are always prepared to support the children and parents during the CFS activities and continue to show their strong teamwork and good communication skills.  

Moreover, MSSI and UNICEF also provided trainings to Child Protection Officers, GBV-focal points, technical team of NGOs, representatives of faith-based organizations and volunteers on Psychological First Aid and the MHPSS toolbox so that the social welfare workforce becomes better equipped to provide psychosocial support for children and families.

In this workshop, UNICEF and its partners are launching Child Friendly Spaces Booklet.

“Child Friendly Spaces Booklet contains information about the CFS, stories from some children, parents and volunteers, and fun photos from the activities, including drawings from the children who were excited to share their art with all of us here”, said Mr. Durrani. “We hope that those who read it can also learn more about the activities that children and volunteers usually do at the CFS and identify the need to scale up this kind of community-based intervention, that have and impact in the life of children and preventing violence, abuse, and exploitation”, he continued. 

The Community-based MHPSS is supported through Spotlight Initiative, a partnership between United Nations and European Union, with the objective to eliminate violence against women and girls in Timor-Leste, and around the world. 

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UNICEF ho Ministeriu Solidaridade Sosial no Inkluzaun ho ONG Ba Futuru servisu hamutuk hodi hatin intervensaun bazeada ba komunidade hodi proteje labarik sira no sira-nia familia husi violénsia.

Dili, Sexta-feira, 30 Setembru 2022. Ohin loron UNICEF kolabora ho Ministeriu Solidaridade Sosial no Inkluzaun (MSSI sigla Potugues) ho ONG Ba Futuru, organiza kolokiu Impaktu Positivu iha Salaun Sentru João Paulo II, ho objetivu atu aprezenta rezultadu sira no impaktu sira hosi Saude Mental Bazeada ba Komunidade no intervensaun Apoiu Psiko-Sosial (MHPSS sigla Inglés) ba redusaun violénsia hasoru labarik sira no Violénsia Bazeada ba Jeneru (GBV sigla Inglés), ne’ebé implementa ona liu hosi Fatin Ksolok ba Labarik (CFS sigla Inglés). Kolokiu ne’e partisipa hosi partisipante voluntariu CFS 61, lider komunidade hosi fatin CFS, ho mós enidade sira MSSI, organizasaun sosiedade sivil parseiru dezenvolvimentu sira, inklui Uniaun Europeia no UNICEF. 

Inisialmente CFS sira implementa ona hosi Abril 2021 hafoin Timor-Leste atinjidu hosi inundasaun boot, tamba Siklone Seroja, ne’ebé afeta uma-kain 31.029 iha país laran tomak – hosi sira ne’e, pursentu 82 hosi munisipiu Dili, no estraga infraestrutura publiku barak. Buat sira ne’e hotu akontense wainhira país ne’e hasoru hela pandemia Covid-19. 

Hafoin bee tu’un ona familia sira ho sira-nia labarik sira hahú muda neineik fila fali ba sira-nia uma, iha nesesidade atu garante katak labarik sira sei simu apoiu nesesariu no protesaun hosi violénsia domestika, abuzu ba labarik no abandon. 

Tanba ne’e, iha 21 Jullu 2021, ho Inisiativa Spotlight, UNICEF no MSSI paresia ho Ba Futuru, estabelese  intervensaun MHPSS bazeada ba komunidade no Saude Mental Bazeada ba Komunidade no intervensaun Apoiu Psiko-Sosial (MHPSS sigla Inglés) no halo tuir lalaok sira hodi apoia labarik ho sira-nia familia sira iha fatin emerjensia no vulneravel sira, tuir Politika Bem Estar Labarik no Familia, ne’ebé governu komprometidu ona hodi insentiva Programasaun bazeada ba komunidade, ho objetivu atu evita no rezolve violénsia domestika, abuzu ba labarik no abandona. Ohin-loron, atividade sira Saude Mental Bazeada ba Komunidade no intervensaun Apoiu Psiko-Sosial (MHPSS sigla Inglés) iha fatin CFS 16, voluntariu treinadu 61 fó apoiu hodi ba labarik 1.800 ho sira-nia inan-aman sira. 

“Objetivu hosi CFS ne’e atu fornese apoiu psiko-sosial ba labarik sira ho sira-nia inan-aman sira mak afetadu hosi inundasaun ka moris hela iha ambiente vulneravel sira, ho asesu ba brinkedu estruturadu, rekreasaun no tempu halimar, iha forma tau reforsa sira-nia reziliensia no fator protetivu rezistentesira,” dehan Bilal Aurang Durrani, UNICEF nia Reprezentativu País iha Timor-Leste.

Maske MHPSS bazeada ba Komunidade ne’ebé dezignadu liu ba labarik sira, nia intervensaun mós inklui sesaun sira para inan-aman sir aba sira-nia kompriensaun diak liu ba sira-nia oan sira nia nesesidade emosional no hasa’e sira-nia abilidade atu koalia kona-ba dezfiu sira, muda norma jeneru sira no buka ajuda. Nia mós fó ba inan-aman sira abilidade atu kuida sira-nia saude mental. Liu hosi ne’e familia inan aman sira simu sesaun parental sira hanesan protesaun labarik, nutrisaun, estimulasaun sedu, ijiene, disiplina pozitivu, saude, edukasaun, no asuntu sira realasiona ho adolesente sira. 

Molok implementasaun atividade sira ne’e, voluntariu sira tenke tuir lai formasaun intensivu kona-ba métodu fasilitasaun no Primeiru Sekoru Psikolojiku sira. Sira ekipadu ho koñesimentu no abilidade sira oferese MHPSS ba labarik sira hodi fasilita sesaun parental. Voluntariu sira sempre preparadu atu apoia labarik sira no inan-aman sira durante atividade CFS sira no kontinua hatudu sira nia servisu ekipa forte no abilidade komunikasaun di’ak. 

Alende ne’e, MSSI no UNICEF mós oferese formasaun ba Ofisial Protesaun ba Labarik, pontu fokal Violénsia Bazea ba Jeneru, ekipa tekniku hosi ONG sira, reprezentativu hosi organizasaun relijioza sira no vluntariu Primeiru Sokoru Psikososial no kaixa ferramentu MHPSS atu nune’e pesoal servisu social ba bem estar bele kapasita-aan ho di’ak atu bele fornese apoiu psikososial ba labarik no familia sira. 

UNICEF ho nia parseiru sira sei halo lansamentu ba Livriñu Fatin Ksolok ba Labarik. 

"Livriñu Fatin Ksolok ba Labarik ne’e iha informasaun kona-ba CFS, istoria hosi labarik balun, inan-aman no voluntariu sira, no potografia animada hosi atividade sira, inklui dezeñu sira hosi labarik sira ne’ebé gosta tebes atu fahe bai ta hotu iha ne’e,” dehan Sr. Durrani. “Ita hakarak katak sira ne’ebé lee bele mós aprende liu-tan kona-ba atividade sira mak labarik no voluntariu sira costume halo iha CFS sira no identifika nesesidade hodi habelar intervensaun bazeada ba komunidade, maki ha inpaktu ba labarik sira-nia moris hodi prevene violénsia, abuzu, no esplorasaun,” hatutan tan.

MHPSS bazeada ba Komunidade hetan apoiu hosi Inisiativa Spotlight, Parseria entre Nasoins Unidas ho Uniaun Europeia, ho nia objetivu atu elimina violénsia hasoru feto no labarik feto sira iha Timor-Leste, no iha mundu. 

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