APHEDA Union Aid Abroad

East Timor Update January 2001

APHEDA - Union Aid Abroad's two staff in East Timor, Ramona Mitussis and Jim Mellor are leaving East Timor after completing their one-year assignments there. A huge thank you to Ramona and Jim for an enormous effort in establishing the APHEDA office and program and capacity building in four sectors. Ramona plans to work in Perth with the AEU while Jim hopes for a well earned rest.

Welcome also to Chris Batchelor who from February will be the new East Timor Co-ordinator and Graeme Hooper, the new Development Officer. Welcome also to Jacqui Davison, the new Project Officer for East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines. Jacqui will be with APHEDA - Union Aid Abroad for one year while another Project Officer, Cecily Michaels, is on maternity leave.
 

The current educational and vocational work in East Timor includes:

• A vocational training project that includes support to the rebuilding of parts of the Becora Technical School and rural district carpentry workshops. The overall program is supported by the Australian building industry, initiated by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, and Australian construction companies and related superannuation funds with additional support from the Independent Education Union for tools, equipment and local staff allowances. This project also includes vocational training through district carpentry workshops in Maliana. This project is being helped by a volunteer, Jim Harrington.
• Recently APHEDA placed an English language teacher through support from the Australian Education Union and the Adult Multicultural Education Services from Victoria working with the national East Timorese women's network, REDE, based in Dili.
• literacy development in the rural districts with women and decommissioned Falantil soldiers working with the national women's youth and student organisation, GFFTL.
• APHEDA recently placed a librarian to work at the University of East Timor to help train librarians and redevelop the library facilities as well as a library support program including the provision of books and computers.
• Working through Independent Education Union who are co-ordinating with the NSW and Victorian Departments of Education to assist with policy and planning support for strengthening the capacity of the East Timorese primary, secondary and vocational schools.
• APHEDA's partner in labour issues, the Labour Advocacy Institute for East Timor has acquired a new office location which means that further training and support work will now be able to proceed. Following a request for a legal adviser on labour code issues, Eliza Bergin, an Industrial Relations lawyer from Melbourne will work with LAIFET for four months with assistance from several Australian trade unions and labour law firms.
• In the health field APHEDA has supported the East Timor Nurses Association developing links with nurses and health workers in the Northern Territory and across the Pacific through conferences recently in Gove and Brisbane with the support of the Australian Nurses Federation who are helping establish the ETNA office.
• APHEDA is also developing a Media Resource Centre with the assistance of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and with funds obtained from the Melbourne-based Free Timor Coalition and the provision of a mobile media unit for use in rural districts funded by the Victorian Government.