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| School children in Timor-Leste read their copies of CARE’s educational magazine ‘Lafaek’, which is the only publication in the country that uses the national language Tetun. ©Jane Dempster/CARE |
CARE has been producing and distributing the iconic Lafaek magazine in Timor-Leste since 2000. Lafaek is the only educational publication in Timor-Leste in the local language, Tetun.
CARE started the publication as a Child Rights magazine after the 1999 Referendum for Independence. From 2004- 2010, Lafaek, meaning Crocodile, tutored every child in school from grades one to nine.
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| Children from Liquica reading the Lafaek Community Magazine during one of CARE’s Health Program Mother’s Group meetings. ©Sarah Rippin/CARE |
The magazine has taken different forms over the years and the Lafaek team are currently distributing Lafaek ba Komunidade (Lafaek Community Magazine) which teaches and informs communities, adults with low literacy skills and children through colourful, innovative and informative articles.
Lafaek’s printed materials and community radio broadcasts target literacy and numeracy, civic education, agriculture, small business management, health and hygiene.
Learn more about CARE’s work in Timor-Leste
Stories from CARE's work in Timor-Leste
by Amelia Poxon, CARE Australia's Communications Coordinator
First and foremost, Arminda Pererira is a mother. She has six
children between the ages of four and 17 and spends the majority of her
day caring for her large family.
Three years ago, Arminda also became a farmer. She is a member of a
women’s farmer group which is one of many CARE has facilitated to
support families in Timor Leste. The groups learn how to grow their own
crops, improve their diet, sell surplus crops for a profit and store and
share their seeds for the next season. Read more.
by Amelia Poxon, CARE Australia's Communications Coordinator
In Timor Leste, a country where one third of the population
experiences food shortages, it is difficult for families to balance the
need for food with the importance of education. While primary school is
free, the cost of school books and uniforms is often prohibitively high
for families who survive on subsistence farming alone.
However, for Fidelia Soares, a mother of six and participant in
CARE’s Young Women Young Nation program, sending her children to school
is as important as buying food. Read more.
by Julia Newton-Howes, CARE Australia's Chief Executive
I recently visited a small village up in the hills in Liquica, about
two hours from Dili, with some of CARE Australia’s Board members. CARE
has been working there for about four years, supporting people to grow
more food and to take opportunities to earn income.
We met a group of women and children at a house, high up on a hill,
with spectacular views down to a broad valley. We sat and talked about
their lives. It takes an hour to walk to the school or the clinic. There
is a market once a week – also an hour away – where they can sell food
or coffee. It costs $12 to catch a bus into Dili, a prohibitive amount
for many families. Read more.
