YWCA Australia has a volunteer working group of members dedicated to supporting Timor Leste women and children.
During the past year it has been a privilege for YWCA Australia, through the East Timor Working Group, to work in partnership with the Women's Communication Forum in East Timor better known by its acronym 'Fokupers'. Since 2004, YWCA Australia has financially supported Fokupers to provide a Domestic Violence Counsellor to support East Timorese women. Fundraisers such as the East Timor Dinner at 2004 Convention have assisted YWCA Australia to also provide funds for East Timorese women to visit Australia, raising awareness of the living conditions and opportunities available to women in East Timor.
Find out about Victim Support Services in Timor Leste
(from left) Gordana Morphett from the YWCA of Canberra workiing with Maria Tschanz, (centre) a German Adviser (on Counselling) to Fokupers and Mercia, the Co-ordinator of the Fokupers childcare centre or creche. They are reviewing the activitiy plans and daily schedule of the Fokupers Creche. Fokupers is a Timores women's organisations organised in 1997 which provides support (friendship and advice on legal matters, counselling and advocacy and if needed a safe house for women and children victims of gender violence. They also have a childcare centre, a rural community outreach program and a communication-video centre.
Rosi de Sousa, Acting Director of Fokupers (wearing YW t-shirt) and Manuela Pereira, the Director of Fokupers who is on maternity leave. The T-shirt was donated by the YWCA of Brisbane. Rosi did a study tour of the YWCA of Darwin and Melbourne last year when attending a conference on Timor-Leste organised by the University of Victoria in October 2005.
Saturday morning workshop at the Fokupers creche where Bron Joslyn from CMC Training at Work (Melbourne) and Gordana demonstrate to the Fokupers crèche staff some low cost creative materials for young children . Used plastic bottles are plentiful in Dili and they can be used as musical instruments).