WaterAid Timor-Leste signs MOU with local partners
April 11, 2019: WaterAid Timor-Leste has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its two local partners Fundasaun Hafoun Timor Lorosa’e (FHTL) and Fundasaun Luta ba Futuru (FLBF) at Arbiru beach hotel yesterday, aimed at enhancing cooperation around water, sanitation, and hygiene for health (WASH) program implementation for 2019 until 2020.
WaterAid Timor-Leste has been working with two local NGOs for many years: FHTL for more than ten years in Likisa and 8 years with FLBF in Manufahi as an implementing partner.
FLBF Director Mrs. Maria Boki Fernandes, in her speech, said “this year, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation through working collaboratively with the local government such as DNSAS and health departments in order to achieve our goals.”
FHTL Program Manager Mr. Antonio Alvaro emphasized that “through our cooperation and partnership, we can contribute significantly to Strategic Development Plan and FHTL’s strategic plans.”
Country Director of WaterAid Timor-Leste Justino da Silva acknowledged the institutional organization of both partners. He explained that both partners have good technical and management skills, strong operations and systems and financial management, and are accountable to government and community. “They also have policies for conflict of interest, fraud, harassment, child protection and social inclusion in place,” Mr. Justino said. “I never doubt our partnerships in ensuring good quality services and transparency in community. But it would be great if you can document the outcomes of your work, so that they become a model for others to imitate,” he added.
This year’s program is expected to benefit more than a thousand people. WaterAid is allocating approximately $360,000 USD for its two implementing partners FLBF and FHTL to provide service delivery in 8 communities and 4 health facilities. The program will also strengthen institutional partners and provide support to the municipal government. While working on the construction works, partners also facilitate gender dialogue between men and women, people with disability, and children to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to access to clean water, decent sanitation, and hygiene.
At the national level, WaterAid will continue to work collaboratively with civil society organizations with a focus on human rights, gender and people with a disability. WaterAid aims to ensure WASH is integrated into gender sensitive policies and policies relating to people with a disability, as well as strengthening government’s WASH policies.
Each project has its own grant fund partnerships, supported by the Australian Government. This includes the Australia NGO Cooperation Program-Gender Actions Platform (ANCP-GAP), which focuses on WASH in School and Menstrual Hygiene Management; Australia NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), which focuses on health care facilities; and Water for Women (WfW) which focuses on delivering services beyond inclusion and realising gender transformative and sustainability of WASH systems in rural communities. For more information on Water for Women, visit https://www.waterforwomenfund.org/en/project/water-for-women-Timor-Leste.aspx.
WaterAid is an international organisation determine to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education to the poorest people in the world. We started operating our office in Likisa in 2007 and gradually expanded to Manufahi in 2011. Our program has grown to support water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in over 200 communities and 4,500 households, enabling nearly 26,000 people to have access to WASH. These achievements are acquired through a strong partnership approach with local authorities at the municipal level, post administrative and community leaders, and taking advantages of the existing NGO resources in contributing to program implementation.
In conjunction with signing the MoU with our local partners, the WaterAid global federation this week celebrated ‘My WaterAid Week’ in which 37 countries and 1000 people working at WaterAid held reflection and learning sessions to prepare the organization for 2030, which is 3,918 days away.