The "MORE" page (see link above right) provides an index of previous years' news,
our newsletters, other stories and all pages on our website.
March 2010
President Jim Johnson meeting with 2009 Baucau graduates (left to right) Sabino, Venevides and Antonio.
This month we note the death of Joy Richards,
a member and former Secretary of FPET.
This month we revisit the January news item about Atabae graduates from Baucau Teachers College. Unfortunately, FPET's 2009 graduates – Antonio, Sabino and Venevides – have been unable to follow Alice into paid employment.
Even though Baucau produces an internationally accredited qualification, graduates have found it difficult to get jobs in a country crying out for quality teachers. The dysfunctional operation of the Education Ministry is to blame and we can only hope and pray that it improves.
FPET met with the graduates and other stakeholders last month and a strategy was devised. The graduates agreed to volunteer at the local parish and government schools.
FPET agreed to pay a living allowance in the short–term in the hope that they will be so useful to their schools that the Education Ministry will put them on the payroll. This has the support of the local school principals.
We hope this will prevent these highly qualified young people from being lost to Atabae and possibly to the teaching profession.
February 2010
Margaret and David Hall returned to Atabae in late January after nearly two months away in the UK. They were delighted to find that the local Health Team had continued operating the Health Centre as normal in their absence.
One of the encouraging things for President Jim Johnson on his recent visit to Atabae was to observe the Team at work – local girls trained by Margaret going about the business of the Health Centre with quiet efficiency, with Lepa and Carlita the standouts for leadership and management.
Felicidade Pires (nickname Lepa) met many FPET supporters when she came to Australia for World Youth Day. She has blossomed into a confident and skilled leader in the Team. Her English has improved greatly, to the extent that Jim was amazed when she acted as interpreter for his meeting with the Community Committee. The next step for Lepa is gaining a formal qualification, as well as obtaining recognition for her training with Margaret. She also surprised us all by announcing her recent marriage.
Lepa exemplifies what FPET's partnership is about – transferring technical and management skills to Atabae locals who can then take leadership roles in re-building their district and their country.
Lepa taking a glucometer reading from a pregnant lady in her home village of Limonaro.
January 2010
FPET President Jim Johnson with Alice Abu during his recent visit to East Timor.
On his recent trip to East Timor, President Jim Johnson was very pleased to meet Alice Abu, our first FPET-supported student to graduate from Baucau Teachers College. Alice graduated at the end of 2008 and started teaching in the Parish School in Atabae in 2009.
Three more Atabae students graduated from Baucau at the end of 2009 and Alice hopes they will join her teaching at the Parish School.
We are very proud of these four students who showed a lot of dedication in achieving their degrees. It cannot be easy to leave your home village in the west and travel to an unfamiliar town in the east for three years intensive study, but they have succeeded.
Three further students from Atabae have just started their first year studies at Baucau College, following in the footsteps of Alice and her friends.
You can e-mail Friends and Partners with East Timor at
© Copyright Reserved - Friends and Partners with East Timor Incorporated ABN: 11987 413 446
Winner of the 2005 Anzac Peace Prize Page last modified on 8 March 2010 Top of page
This website is hosted through the generosity of Acenet Internet Services 