Achievements

Achievements over the life of the Friendship Agreement have included:

Providing Aid and equipment to Baucau
Establishing the Baucau Buka Hatene Friendship and Learning Centre
Supporting Friendship Activities
Providing support to Baucau District Administration

Provided Aid and Equipment

Since 1999, the cities of Yarra and Darebin have collected, cleaned and sent a quantity of material aid to Baucau including the following goods collected from the community:

Office equipment and furniture
Computers
Books and other school supplies
Clothes
Library shelving
Sewing Machines and fabric
Sporting equipment
Musical instruments
Medical equipment

Other donations have included:

Safety clothing and equipment for Baucau power workers, donated by La Trobe Valley Generators group, sent by Darebin – May 2001
Medical equipment donated to Baucau hospital by Darebin – July 2002
Library equipment & furniture donated by Darebin to Baucau – June 2003

Baucau Buka Hatene Friendship and Learning Centre

Support for the Baucau Buka Hatene Friendship and Learning Centre has been the major project of the Friends of Baucau.

Establishment

Following the visit to Australia by Sr Marito Reis, District Administrator Baucau in March 2001 agreement was reached with the District Administration to focus on establishing the a vocational education facility.

Friends of Baucau established a partnership with Australian Volunteers International (AVI) to provide support in the form of an Australian volunteer located full-time in Baucau to project manage the establishment of a vocational education facility (2003).

Friends of Baucau funded the refurbishment of a suitable building (finished and opened in 2004), supported by the presence of Australian Volunteer Bruce Stewart who negotiates the lease and support of various Timor-Leste government agencies.

Bruce Stewart trained young people in consultation and they conducted a community meeting with around 150 participants to determine the priorities for training at the new centre, to determine a committee structure and elect a community committee and decide the name for the Centre – Baucau Buka Hatene or ‘Baucau Seeking Knowledge’ (October 2003).

From 2004–2010 there was an ongoing presence by Australian Volunteers in Baucau, firstly Lorraine McBride and then Lois Pratt. This role has included mentoring a BBH Committee of Management and staff, providing a communication link to the District Administration Baucau office and report back to Friends of Baucau Melbourne.

Programs

The centre was based on the Australian neighbourhood house model and provides capacity-building programs for the local community. The centre provided a supportive environment, assistance and information as well as a meeting space for visitors, especially women and youth. The centre delivered a number of programs and services including:

English Language program
Women’s development program
Youth program, including the Few Qhotu performance group
Computer program, and
Library

The Friends of Baucau has been the major sponsor of the Baucau Buka Hatene. At various times project at the Centre have been funded by other agencies. A computer skills program was run at the centre by Info Timor, a locally based not for profit social enterprise supported through partnership with InfoXchange Australia.

Although the BBH centre was based in the sub-district and township of Baucau, the programs were open to people from any districts. Workshops have also been taken offsite and delivered into the districts, particularly the Women’s Development program.

The Centre has now become an independent body and continues to operating in Baucau.

Baucau District Administration

Friends of Baucau communicates regularly with the District Administrator, Mr Antonio Guterres regarding development initiatives in the Baucau district and sub-districts. We are focusing on strengthening the capacity of the local government through professional support, which has included:

A number of visits and study tours to Melbourne by the District Administrator and other colleagues
Equipment for the District Administration office
Funding for a civic gardens project at the District Administration
Assisting with the development of the Baucau Master Plan, and
Other support where needed, such as holding an appeal for refugee relief in Baucau in response to the 2006 crisis

Supporting the establishment of other friendship arrangements

Friends of Baucau has supported the establishment of other friendship arrangements between the six Sub-districts of Baucau and communities and councils in Australia. We seek to share lessons learned with these groups and seek to better coordinate our activities. We are also working with the District Administrator and Sub-district Administrators on the establishment of a “friendship commission” to coordinate friendship activities in Baucau. Other friendship groups in the Baucau district include relationships between:

Baguia and Stonington
Venilale and Mansfield
Vermasse and Monash
Quelicai and Mildura
Laga and Gimpie
Baucau and Yarra and Darebin

Darebin hosted Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) Working Together for East Timor Conference & Expo, H.E. Pres. Xanana Gusmao guest of honour – April 2003.

Friends of Baucau representatives attended the June 2008 VLGA Friendship Conference in Dili.

Friends of Baucau participates in discussions with other Friendship groups including the VLGA Timor-Leste Working Group and meetings of other Baucau District Friendship Groups.

Friendship Activities

Friends of Baucau became part of the Alola Foundation Friendship Schools Project with three Australian schools partnered with schools in Timor-Leste (in 2002)

Support for East Timorese Community in Melbourne

There has been significant support to the Melbourne East Timor Activity Centre through Community Grants and support to Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood house to supply a venue for monthly dinners and cultural activities.

Fundraising

Relationship established with Coffee Mio to on-sell Timorese coffee packets
Boite Music concert of Timorese performers 2002
Trivia Nights in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
Rock for Timor youth concerts held in July, August and September 2007
Film nights at Westgarth and Cinema Nova including Whale Rider 2004, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005, Ten Canoes 2006 and Balibo 2009
Sale of energy efficient light globes through cashiers
Sale of crafts and tais products
Sale of chocolate crocodiles
Coffee stall opportunities at Darebin, Yarra and other community events
Ride Around the Bay in a Day cycle team in 2008

What have the Councils paid for?

The Cities of Yarra and Darebin have supported the Friendship activities through activities in Australia (ratepayer funds do not go directly to Timor-Leste:

Visits of project officers, councillors and some community members to Baucau
The provision of a part-time project officer and an operational budget
George Bennett has been supported by Darebin as a volunteer to fulfil the role as Fundraising Convener through desk space, travel reimbursement and public liability insurance
Visits of BBH staff (2005 and 2008) and District Administrators (2001, and 2003)

The Cities of Yarra and Darebin have both agreed to fund the Friends of Baucau Inc through a transitional period of two years in order to allow the group to properly establish itself as a sustainable community association.

What has community Fundraising paid for?

Friends of Baucau fundraising has paid for activities that take place in Baucau:

Refurbishment of the BBH building (and some funds raisied and tagged for the possible refurbishment of a second building)
Financial contribution to BBH towards operating costs and staff members salaries, particularly since 2005
A contribution towards the living allowance for AVI volunteers in Baucau (2003-2009)
Financial contribution to the District Administration office towards a Civic Garden project to improve public gardens in the Baucau township (2007-08)