Timor-Leste: COVID-19 Emergency Response – TLS907

Overall objective

Improved health and well-being of vulnerable groups at risk of being negatively affected by COVID-19 in Timor-Leste.

Specific objective

Strengthened civil society capacity to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable groups at risk of being negatively affected by COVID-19 in Timor-Leste.

Expected Results

Result 1: The Timorese health sector is strengthened/ supported through increased practice of handwashing and hygiene behaviours to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among targeted women, men, boys and girls.

Result 2: The impact of the COVID-19 crisis‘ effect on the economy is mitigated through ensuring that targeted people, including those most vulnerable, are able to continue to buy, sell, produce and reach markets during the COVID-19 crisis.

Result 3: The social impacts on the population, especially the most vulnerable, are mitigated through increased awareness of gender-based violence services and promotion and support to referral services.

Main Activities

Activities for Result 1:

• 1.1 Water system support at health facilities, Suco offices, Churches, safe houses, and vulnerable households (i.e. handwashing stations (includes soap), water tanks)
• 1.2 COVID-19 prevention awareness outreach and messaging with communities
  • 1.2.1 Train PSF (community health volunteers), on health and hygiene promotion and promote COVID-19 prevention, using Ministry of Health/WHO IEC materials and guidelines
  • 1.2.2 COVID-19 messages at institutional level
  • 1.2.3 COVID 19 broadcasts (radio Kommunidade) and social media on prevention awareness raising
  • 1.2.4 Distribute the letter from the First Lady of Timor-Leste about Covid-19 prevention to vulnerable households
• 1.3 Distribute hygiene kits and PPE at health posts, SISCa (Community Health Outreach Service), safehouses and community health centres, and households
• 1.4 Support local media organisation to promote factual COVID 19 information with a focus on countering fake news
• 1.5 Distribution of PPE (personal protective equipment)  to health workers and other vulnerable groups

Activities for Result 2:

• 2.1 Safe and hygienic marketplace
• 2.2 Support to vulnerable households to maintain food security
• 2.3 Support Farmers and Farmer Groups and vulnerable households to grow and store produce
• 2.4 Support to Aggregators to continue to act as a key link between farmers, their produce and markets (formal and informal)
• 2.5 Safety & Adaptation technical assistance (TA) to village savings and loans groups

Activities for Result 3:

• 3.1 Using social media to promote gender-based violence referral services and healthy relationships
• 3.2 Using radio to promote messages on positive parenting, shared household responsibilities and shared caring responsibilities
• 3.3 Distribute information about the referral system of domestic violence and gender-based violence (GBV)
• 3.4 Provide whistles for women and adolescents as a violence protection lens to alert others if they experience violence
• 3.5 Hygiene support to safe houses
• 3.6 Equipment to safe houses to support essential services
• 3.7 Distribute children’s learning materials and activity packs to vulnerable households

Location

Viqueque, Ermera, Baucau, Aileu, Dili, Covalima, Oecusse, and Liquisa municipalities

Final beneficiaries

There will be 32,956 direct beneficiaries, including 10,000 beneficiaries who will receive personal protective equipment with a focus on vulnerable populations that include women headed households, pregnant and lactating women and households with persons with disabilities, people over 50, churches, health workers, farmers, saving and loan groups members, safe houses, health and community facilities and community leaders.

Duration

01.05.2020 – 30.04.2021

Total Budget

€ 1,200,000

Donors

This project is funded by the European Union.