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'Ami nia planu mak atu salva moris': feto foinsa’e lidera preparasaun ba dezastre iha Timor-Leste
Iha leten: Leonia, lider grupu Rai no Empresta Osan hanaran Haberan Ekonomia, kaer hela kofre ba sira nia grupu. Foto: Sylvio Fonseca/CARE.
Leonia hela iha munisipiu Viqueque, lokaliza iha parte sudeste iha Timor-Leste. Ho deit idade 21, nia hatudu ona valor husi feto nia lideransa iha redusaun risku dezastre no preparasaun ba dezastre hanesan lider ba grupu Rai no Empresta Osan hanaran, Haberan Ekonomia. Hamutuk ho grupu ne’e nia membru 30, lider foinsa’e ne’e planu uluk ona atu hasoru problema sira ne’ebé nia komunidade bele hasoru bainhira dezastre mosu.
Leonia nia komunidade remota ne’e fasil atu esperiénsia akontesimentu klimátiku ne’ebé aat tebes hanesan udan no anin boot. Iha pasadu, ho distansia dook husi vila ka kapital, suporta husi liur mai kleur tebes bainhira akontese dezastre.
Liu husi projetu Disaster READY (Dezastre Prontu), Leonia no nia membru grupu asesu ona informasaun no formasaun konaba risku sira husi mudansa klimátika, preparasaun ba dezastre, no oinsá bele maneja finansa no rai osan atu sai reziliente liu tan.
Antes nia envolve iha projetu ne’e, Leonia kuda no faan modo-tahan iha merkadu lokal atu suporta nia familia no selu nia oan sira nia eskola.
“Osan ne’ebé hau hetan la fiksu tamba ida ne’e depende ba presu sira iha merkadu – ida ne’e signifika katak bainhira presu merkadu tuun, ami mos hetan osan ituan. Ami hela dook husi banku no ami nia kapasidade finanseira la too atu asesu emprestimu iha banku,” Leonia dehan.
Grupu Rai no Empresta Osan ne’e jere rasik husi grupu no ida ne’e fó oportunidade ba membru komunidade sira, liu-liu iha area remotas, atu rai osan iha fatin seguru, no ida ne’e bele ajuda haforsa sira nia reziliensia. Fundus sira ne’e rai hamutuk bele uza hanesan emprestimu, ka uza hanesan osan ba emerjensia. Leonia lidera nia grupu atu kria planu finanseiru no maneja sira nia rendimentu no gastus.
Hafoin aprende barak liu tan konaba mudansa klimátika liu husi Disaster READY, Leonia agora hatene bainhira mak udan no anin boot sei mai iha nia area. Udan boot bele estraga modo-tahan ne’ebé kuda husi komunidade sira, no iha tempu dezastre, uma-kain sira bele hasoru inseguransa ai-han. Familia sira ne’ebé mak depende ba rendimentu husi faan modo-tahan hanesan Leonia nia familia, bele mos lakon sira nia nesesidade ba moris.
Hatene ona konaba perigus husi dezastre no iha tempu atu prepara, Leonia no nia membru grupu agora bele ona asesu emprestimu atu sosa ai-han hodi prepara ba dezastre. Karik anin boot mai, Leonia ho nia grupu bele uza emprestimu ne’e atu sosa material ba uma ne’ebé apropriadu atu bele hasoru forsa husi anin boot, ka hadi’ak parte uma nian ne’ebé hetan estragus.
“Hau haree katak ema hotu pozitivu tebes iha ami nia grupu. Ho hanoin ida katak ami bele salva ami nia moris no mos membru komunidade seluk nia moris halo ami kontente tebes. Ami nia grupu iha planu, no ami nia planu mak atu salva ami nia moris,” Leonia dehan.
Disaster READY hetan suporta husi Governu Australia liu husi Australian Humanitarian Partnership (Parseria Umanitaria Australiana), no implementa husi CARE no nia parseiru sira.
'Our plan is to save lives': young women leading on disaster preparedness in Timor-Leste
Leonia lives in the municipality of Viqueque, located in the remote south-eastern part of Timor-Leste. At just 21 years old, she is demonstrating the value of women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction and preparedness as the group leader of the Haberan Ekonomia (Expanding Economy) Village and Saving Loans Association (VSLA). Along with the group’s 30 members, this young leader is proactively planning ahead for the issues her community may face if a disaster strikes.
Leonia’s remote community is prone to extreme weather events such as heavy rain and wind. In the past, its distance from major towns or cities has meant that external support can be slow to arrive during a disaster.
Through the Disaster READY program, Leonia and her group members have accessed information and training on the risks posed by climate change, preparedness for disasters, and how to manage finances and savings for resilience.
Prior to her involvement with the project, Leonia grew and sold vegetables at the local market to support her family and pay for her children’s education.
“The income I received was not fixed as it depended on the market price – that means when the market prices drop, we also earn less. We live far from the bank and the requirements to access loans are beyond our financial capabilities,” Leonia said.
Self-managed VLSAs provide the opportunity for community members, particularly in remote areas, to save money in a safe space, improving their resilience. The funds can be used for loans, or as a form of emergency insurance. Leonia leads her group in creating financial plans and managing their income and expenses.
After learning more on climate change through Disaster READY, Leonia now knows when to expect heavy rain and wind in her area. Heavy rains can destroy the vegetables grown by the community, and in a disaster, households can face food insecurity. Families that rely on income from vegetable crops, like Leonia’s, can also lose their livelihoods.
Aware of the hazards and with the chance to prepare, Leonia and her group members can now access loans to purchase food to stock up for a disaster. If heavy wind is on its way, Leonia and her group can also use loans to purchase suitable housing materials to withstand the force of cyclones, or to repair damaged dwellings.
“I see everyone is being positive in our group. The idea that we are not only able to save our lives but also the lives of other members of our community makes us happy. Our group has a plan, our plan is to save our lives,” Leonia said.
Disaster READY is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, and implemented by CARE and its partners.