Young people living with the impacts of poverty and disadvantage in Timor-Leste are benefiting from the continuation of a computer and carpentry training centre to overcome issues of high unemployment and social problems in Uai-Lili.
The Centru Treinamentu Uai-lili Lafu (CTUF) is based in Uai-Lili—a remote village in the Baucau district in Timor-Leste. The director of the CTUF, Maway, has been working in partnership with Australian Marist Solidarity for several years since he started the computer and carpentry training centre in his small village. The centre continues to tackle issues of high unemployment and social problems in Uai-Lili.
Maway—a former gang leader—and Brother Tony Clark worked together for more than four years to establish the computer training centre with the aim to offer the local community courses in IT to better their employment chances. After consulting with the local community about other activities that could engage the youth and equip them with employment skills, carpentry training was identified and strongly supported by members of the community. Many of the students enrolled into these courses have dropped out of school and do not have prospects of employment due to limited opportunities in the area.
Recently, Peter van Duyn and Veronica Collins from the Espero Fund visited Uai-Lili and both remarked “we were very impressed with the set up at CTUF Uai-lili and the way it was run by Maway. The country still has a long way to go but the people are very warm and welcoming.”
The team at CTUF and AMS would like to thank the Espero Fund for the generous support provided over the past year. This support has enabled the carpentry training program at CTUF to continue to support the young people and wider community of Uai-lili.
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