by Renato Da Costa and Sammy Mwiti

09 July 2007

Dili, Timor-Leste: Before she was recently recruited by the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) as a National UNV volunteer, 30 year-old Lucia da Costa never associated volunteerism with the United Nations. A native of Aileu, a farming community located about 50 kilometers south of East Timor’s capital Dili, Lucia says the spirit of volunteerism is in her blood.

“When I learnt that UNV was seeking volunteers for a project on civic education, I was very excited,” she says. “The question of money or payment for my work never crossed my mind. I just wanted to make a contribution and serve my people responsibly,” recalls the soft-spoken economics student at Dili University.
Lucia is among the vanguard group of 13 Timorese nationals, who are the beneficiaries of a new National UNV volunteer scheme through the “Supporting Civil Society Organizations in Promoting Citizen Participation”, or the CSO Project. It aims to promote citizen participation in the governance process.  The project is funded by USAID, the New Zealand Government and UNV. Its main partners are CARE International, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), NGO Forum, Rede Feto, National Youth Council and the Student Solidarity Council.

The 13 National UNV volunteers will be based in several districts as civic education officers, part of civic education working groups composed of members of the partner NGOs.

“It’s like a dream come true,” says 24 year-old Carla Guterres Freitas who sees UNV’s offer as not merely another job but a calling. “Since I accepted this job I have received other offers which I declined because I want to work and hone my skills as a volunteer with UNV,” she says. Carla is no stranger to voluntary work, having previously worked as a volunteer in her suco (administrative region) for projects supported by the Ministry of Labour and Community Reinsertion.

“The National UNV volunteers will be supporting the work of these groups and working to build their capacity to deliver civic education to communities and to work together with state institutions,” notes Simon Poppelwell the CSO Project Manager.

He explains that the bulk of CSOs’ work is based on voluntary action “therefore working with National UNV volunteers is an opportunity to further promote the role of volunteerism in enhancing democratic governance.”  The volunteers will be working throughout the project’s lifeline which closes at the end of 2008. “In addition to ongoing support from the project and the UNV Country Office, there will be regular opportunities for training and feedback over this period in order to support them in meeting the project targets,” says Mr. Poppelwell.

The deployment of the National UNV volunteers marks a milestone in the country, consolidating the gains that the Bonn-based UN agency has made since 1999 when it first deployed nearly 500 international UNV volunteers to facilitate the referendum exercise on the country’s independence.

The implementation of this initiative is possible thanks to the work of a national UNV steering committee which held a series of negotiations and consultations with various parties prior to the official launch of the programme in April 2007. The committee comprised representatives from UNDP and other UN agencies, the Government of Timor-Leste, the NGO Forum, and the UNV Programme Officer.

“It was really hard work on the part of the steering committee which was determined to turn the idea of national UNVs into reality,” observes Rafiqul Haider, the UNV Programme Officer. Rafiqul is keen to credit the UNDP Country Director Mr. Akbar Usmani, for his leadership and guidance which acted as a “catalyst” for the process.

“A new country like East Timor requires the contribution of people from various backgrounds in the process of national development and therefore the National UNV support is highly appreciated,” says Mr. Eusebio Jeronimo, the Director, National Directorate for Planning and External Assistant Coordination, Ministry of Planning and Finance, UNV’s main government counterpart.

With an average annual per capita income of only US$370, East Timor is Asia’s poorest state, and its and newest. “The government’s priority is to combat  poverty”, says Mr. Jeronimo. He feels that the civic education programme in the rural areas involving national UNV volunteers is especially useful, as it will create awareness and “encourage peoples’ participation in development programmes in those areas.”  Such initiatives, he says, will go a long way in addressing the problem of poverty in the country.  

Jose Goncalves, a 30 year-old National UNV volunteer, is very optimistic about his future career prospects. His sentiments also encapsulate the feelings of his colleagues.

“For the time being, I want to improve my skills and knowledge of the UN system and serve my country,” he says confidently.

“Then what next?” The recent political science graduate from East Timor National University, strokes his hair, then remarks: “I would like to be an International UNV volunteer anywhere.”

Renato Da Costa is Media Assistant and Sammy Mwiti, UNV Communications Officer in UNDP East Timor.