Ba Futuru's Context

Timor-Leste’s debut as a sovereign member of the international community on 20 May 2002 was the culmination of a long struggle for independence.  Four centuries of Portuguese colonization and Japanese occupation during World War II (where more than 40,000 people died in just three years) was followed by 24 years of brutal Indonesian occupation.  As a consequence of the immense loss of life through extrajudicial killings, torture and disappearances, in combination with the highest birthrate per capita in the world, Timor-Leste has an extremely young population.  Over half of its citizens are under 15 years of age and approximately 75 percent of the population is under 25.  One in five citizens is under 5 years of age.

While conflict and poverty have affected the population as a whole, young people, due to their vulnerability and dependence, are disproportionately affected. Confronted with high levels of civil unrest, children and youth can benefit substantially from spaces and opportunities that provide interactive therapeutic methods of learning and skill-building activities. Ba Futuru activities in this regard represent a major contribution to a safer, more hopeful future for Timor-Leste, and makes post-conflict reconstruction more effective and sustainable for the next generation.

In 2002 UNICEF estimated that 78 per cent of households in Timor-Leste had experienced the loss of at least one family member during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation and the violence of the 1999 referendum.   In addition to the trauma of losing family members, many children, until recently, were still witnessing violence in the streets, including people being brutally murdered and houses being looted and burned, on a daily basis.    

The violence and anxiety experienced by children during armed conflict has both short-term and long-term effects on their mental health, quality of life and subsequent behavior as adults. In a nation such as Timor-Leste, intervention is crucial. Yet despite the overwhelming statistics and the obvious need, there are few programs in Timor-Leste that specifically and directly address the harms suffered by children.

Only six years after independence, Timor-Leste remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Currently, the nation is emerging from severe civil and political unrest owing to a crisis that began in April 2006.  More than 150,000 people fled from their homes in the initial months of the crisis and many are still living in IDP camps, some of which are just recently starting to close. Some of the causes of the current conflict are unmet expectations, frustrations due to inequality in wealth, property disputes, high unemployment levels and the extremely high population of young people, the majority of whom have not received adequate primary or secondary education. The increased tensions have caused widespread anxiety and distress, creating an immediate and urgent need to enhance individual and community coping mechanisms. Children and youth also need psychosocial interventions in order to help them process their experiences, create a sense of normalcy and recovery, and promote child protection in difficult circumstances.

The current sense of disempowerment must be combated and young people must be assisted in gaining essential life-navigation skills. Such skills are required to foster a nation, and indeed a world, where extreme poverty is overcome while peace and security are assured. To this end, Ba Futuru is working in cooperation with UNICEF, the Child Protection Working Group and the Child Protection Support Teams to improve child protection in IDP camps for some of the most at-risk children in Timor-Leste. Ba Futuru’s programming channels the vibrancy and passion of Timorese children and youth into constructive activities and goals, a crucial step toward lasting peace. 

The above photograph depicts Domingus Pereira, a child from the Seroja Center, together with Ba Futuru Project Coordinator Vidal Campos Magno and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmão.  Domingus, a child who regularly has brought sling shots to the center and harassed other children, is making a statement for International Children’s Day about wanting to change his life - putting down his weapons so that he can live in peace with the other children. Since Children’s Day and his promise, Domingus has transformed his attitude and now does enjoy better relationships with his peers.