YMCA Timor Leste
Last Updated (Wednesday, 02 April 2025 07:22)
YMCA Timor Board Meeting was held in Terra Santa
The second board meeting was held on 01 March 2025 at YMCA Youth Center, Terra Santa, with 2/3 out of 11 board members participating in these meetings.
Outcome:
The meeting result is to ensure that the YMCA has internal guidelines and procedures besides Standard Operational Procedures in place, response to the donor requirements for transparency and accountability approach.
Challenges:
1. YMC Timor-Leste didn’t have Human Resource, Administration, Finance, Procurement and Logistics manuals to guide an executive team in the execution of the donor’s fund.
2. YMCA Timor-Leste staff members working as volunteers since December 2023 till today.
3. No office equipment to accelerate the work process (only one laptop with the heavy workload and it crashes everyone uses individual laptops to do reporting and develop proposals.
4. YMCA youth center is not resistant to floods every raining season.
Action to be taken:
1. Board member will be developing an internal guideline for Human Resources, Administration, Finance, Procurement and Logistics. The manual or guidelines are important to ensure a transparency and accountability process of utilization of donor’s funds.
2. Developing proposals to local and international partners such as:
a. Civil society support directorate
b. State Secretariat for Vocational Training and Employment
c. Youth Led climate solution
3. YMCA Timor-Leste financial capacity board members will closely monitor financial utilization such as income and expenditure based on office needs and vital because the YMCA need to ensure the adequate preschool department.
Expected result:
1. YMCA Timor-Leste should have office equipment to facilitate the work and reporting such as:
a. ICT equipment (Laptop/Desktop, Printers, camera, etc.)
b. Transport (Vehicle/motorcycle)
2. Should have upgraded the youth centre compound and constructed drainage to ensure that the compound is resistant to floods and a water tank reservoir for watering office garden purposes.
3. Should have Human Resource, Administration, Finance, Procurement and Logistics manual in place to ensure transparency and accountability in the execute the programs.
4. Should have a Salaries executive team to ensure the staff welfare.
5. Ensure that funds is adequate to support a preschool department, and training activities.
YMCA Vision 2030 & Quadrennial Program Plan (QPP 2024-2027)
Meaningful Work:
YMCA of Timor-Leste commenced the youth activities such as football training for children aged 06 – 15 years old, 15 people is enrolled and activities are held on every weekend Saturday and Sunday afternoon from 16:00PM till 18:00PM since 01 March 2025. These activities were reactivated according to JICA in Timor-Leste support through volunteer presence in the YMCA Timor-Leste for two year period 2025 – 2027.
One of the YMCA of Timor-Leste Japan Language course students passed the selection process deploying to Japan in the fisheries sector for a duration of three years contract with Nagaishi Fishery from MIYAGI Prefecture. These activities selected through Technical Intern Training.
YMCA of Timor-Leste in enrollment of the Japan language course for level I – III the status under registration process. These activities as continue from 2024 because we have two local trainers and one JICA volunteer (Mr. Ryuto).
Movement Strengthening
The YMCA of Timor-Leste planned to open a movement branch in Baucau Municipality through IPTL church mission in that municipality. The main activities for this cooperation are to establish a pre-school in the Baucau municipality especially in the Laga administrative post. This program may get support from the Chinese YMCA in Hong Kong as a result of collaboration opportunities between YMCA Timor-Leste and the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong.
Continuously reach out to YMCA in other country offices to invest in Timor-Leste for the income generating activities to have financial sustainability for support countries and Timor-Leste YMCA such as:
1. Stablish a local and international school through cooperation agreements for investment stockholders.
2. The Development Program Cooperative Agreement oversees the YMCA’s investment in the accommodation or meeting venues with international standards.
Upcoming programs/ activities
- General Sectary will participate in the ECM from 03-07 April 2025 at Penang, Malaysia.
- Board meeting on 27 April 2025 will host by IPTL Synod
- Develop a proposal to Civil society support directorate for mid-year period of 2025 to support institutional capacity in develop internal manual for strengthen policies and procedures.
Photos
By Harun Boavida
General Secretary, YMCA Timor Leste