MoU a symbol of commitment to clean water
(see Tetun version below)
A shared commitment to securing clean water for the people of Timor-Leste is symbolised by today’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between World Vision Timor-Leste (WVTL) and the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW), says WVTL’s Country Director Samaresh Nayak.
“We are now halfway to our goal of installing 15 new water systems in Timor-Leste by 2015,” Mr Nayak says. “This MoU marks a significant step in the enhanced cooperation and coordination between government and non-government agencies in improving the health status of people in Timor-Leste, particularly through improving access to clean water and sanitation.”
He signed the MoU along with Sr Elias Pereira Moniz, the Secretary of State for Water, Sanitation and Urban Development. WVTL works closely with government agencies in the districts and communities to plan and install the new water systems. When a project is finished, a formal ceremony is held in the village to hand over the new system to a local water management committee and to local government, and to demonstrate that its long-term sustainability now lies with the community and the Government.
The MoU notes that WVTL and the MoPW have common goals of achieving access to clean water and sanitation. It sets out concrete ways in which the two organisations can work together to achieve those goals. These include sharing research, information and materials, holding joint meetings, and ongoing responsibilities on completion of a project.
Access to clean water is an age-old problem in Timor-Leste. Every day community members, typically women and/or children, spend many hours walking long distances to fetch clean water.
People often take water from streams polluted with animal waste and, during the rainy season, full of churned mud. Along with unhealthy behaviours such as lack of hand washing, open defecation, unhygienic food preparation and unsafe water storage, this encourages the spread of water-borne illnesses such as diarrhoea, a leading disease affecting children under five.
Sr Elias Pereira Moniz (left) and Samaresh Nayak sign the MoU which sets out how the Ministry of Public Works and World Vision can work together to provide clean water for the people of Timor-Leste.
Nota de Intendementu hanesan símbolu ida iha komitmentu ba bé mós
Hanesan komitmentu hamutuk atu asegura bé mós ba ema Timor oan mak hatudu husi assina nota de intendementu iha loron 21 Outubro 2013 entre World Vision Timor-Leste (WVTL) no Ministério das Obras Publicas iha salaun enkontru BESIK, Caicoli Dili, dehan Diretór WVTL, Sr. Samaresh Nayak.
“Agora daudaun ami iha dalan sorin ba ami nia objetivu atu instala sistema be mos foun hamutuk 15 iha Timor-Leste to 2015,” Sr. Nayak hatutan. “Nota de Intendementu ne’e marka pasu signifikativu ida hodi hametin kooperasuan no koordenasaun entre governo no agencia non-governamentais atu hadia estadu saúde ema nian iha Timor-Leste, partikularmente liu husi hadia acessu ba bé mós no saneamentu.”
Nia assina Nota de Intendementu ne’e hamutuk ho Sr. Elias Pereira Moniz, Secretário do Estado de Aqua, Saneamnetu no Urbanizasaun. WVTL servisu besik liu ho agencia governo iha distrito no komunidade atu planea no instala sistema bé mós foun. Wainhira projetu ne’e finaliza, ceremonia formal ida sei realiza iha suku atu entrega sistema bé mós ne’e ba komite jestaun bé lokal no governo lokal, no atu demonstra sustenabilidade ba tempu naruk husi agora entre komunidade no governo.
Nota de Intendementu ne’e notas katak WVTL no Ministério das Obras Publicas iha objetivu hamutuk hodi atinji acessu ba bé mós no saneamentu. Estabelece formas konkretu entre organizasaun rua ne’e bele servisu hamutuk atu atinij objetivu hirak ne’e. Ne’e inklui fahe assessmentu, informasaun no materiais, realiza enkontru hamutuk, no responsabilidade ba konklusaun iha projetu ida.
Acessu ba bé mós hanesan problema uluk kedas iha Timor-Leste. Loron-loron membru komunidade sira, jeralmente feto no/ ou labarik, gasta oras barak lao iha distancia ne’ebe do’ok atu ba kuru bé mós.
Ema sempre kuru be husi mota ne’ebe hetan polusaun husi animal nia ten no, iha tempu udan monu rai, nakonu ho tahu. Hamutuk ho hahalok ne’ebe la saudavel hanesan menuz fase liman, te arbiru, prepara aihan la ijiene no rai be mos la seguru, ne’e fo valor ba moras ne’ebe hadaet husi bé hanesan diarea, ne’ebe mak lori moras afeta ba labarik tinan 5 mai kraik.