This center is part of Edge-ucate.org and Ba Futuru’s Youth Integration and Development Initiative that has been supported with funding from UNMIT, UNICEF, The World Bank, ConocoPhillips, CRS and individuals in the United States, and has been made possible by the hard work of community and international volunteers, including the Australian stabilization forces, who teach English at the center three times a week.
East Timor or Timor Lorosa’e – ‘Timor of the rising sun’ – lies 500km north of Australia at the south-eastern edge of the Indonesian archipelago. Its debut on 20 May, 2002 as a sovereign member of the international community was the culmination of a long struggle for independence: four centuries of Portuguese colonization, Japanese occupation during World War II and 24 years of Indonesian annexation resulted in sustained and systematic devastation. Five years after independence, East Timor remains the poorest country in Asia. Since April 2006, East Timor has been experiencing severe civil and political unrest, forcing 150,000 people from their homes and exacerbating the fragile psychosocial situation.
“Ba Futuru promotes opportunities for conflict affected children and youth to reach their fullest potential and regain a sense of confidence in the future”, says Joana dos Santos Camoes, the NGO director. “This event helped the East Timorese feel part of a greater international movement that deals with conflict to move on”.
Ba Futuru's vision is to build a culture of peace and non-violence in East Timor by developing the values, skills, knowledge and wellbeing of vulnerable and at-risk young people, and those who care for them. Ba Futuru does this through the promotion of opportunities for conflict affected, vulnerable and at-risk children and youth to reach their fullest potential and regain a sense of confidence in the future, as well as providing those who care for children and community leaders with the knowledge and capacity to support the children in their communities.
