The YMCA Timor Leste held its General Assembly to Electa a New Board and Staff & Develop the Movement Strategy

I would like to thank everyone, especially YMCA members and board members, for the trust bestowed on me as a new Board President. This is a privilege momentum and a great opportunity to extend our hands to one another for the support. I hope that this year is a great momentum that requires all members to contribute to strengthening the YMCA for a better plan. We could agree on different aspects or disagree to some extent, that is what we call the difference between us that means it defines the identity of who we are in this era of globalization. Those differences are parts of the bonds that are scattered. For that, we can put those bonds together as we go forward need to extend our hand and put those differences into one place and construct a better solution to respond to each of those difference. At this stage YMCA Timor-Leste has the ability to keep moving forward, anything we act we shall act together, and remember to put people at the center of our interest, so no one is left behind. Congratulations to all of you!

Marcos Pinto President	Alotu Sarmento Vice President	Harun Yohanes Boavida General Secretary	Lourdes Correia Member /Administrative and Finance office

Elizabeth Baptista Member	Lorenca Freitas da Piedade Member/Interim Director	Cesaltina Pinto Soares Member	Jeronimo Hendrique Baptista Member	Antonio BS da Silva Member/School principal

Dear Readers,

Greetings from the General Secretary of YMCA Timor-Leste!

As we enter the Year 2024, in fact, we are in 2024 already. I wish you all good health and good spirits to start kicking off a new and fresh activity for the year. We faced challenges in the social, natural, and economic areas for the last 20 years, and a new budget year is demanding!  I wanted to take this moment to express my gratitude and appreciation for the trust and faith vested in me by the YMCA of Timor-Leste members by appointing me as the General Secretary of the YMCA of Timor-Leste on December 16, 2023, for three years from 2024 to 2026.

"I’M SO GRATEFUL,” as it is a colossal responsibility. But, I am sure that with the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the support from everyone, I should be able to take the YMCA of Timor-Leste to a better future. The YMCA of Timor-Leste has always been a beacon of hope, fostering holistic development and nurturing individuals of all ages, and we foster progress toward common interests that we will not leave anyone behind. From promoting equal opportunities to inspiring and empowering countless lives in these challenging times, the YMCA's commitment to serving the community has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Your unwavering dedication to supporting those in need, whether through development initiatives such as educational, social outreach, or environmental sustainability, has made a significant difference in the lives of many. As we move forward, we must acknowledge the tremendous resilience and adaptability displayed. Together, we can build a stronger, healthier, and more compassionate society. I wish you all the time filled with hope, joy, and new opportunities from the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ with us, and thank you.

Best regards

Harun Yohanes Boavida

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PARTICIPANTS

Opening remarks from the funder of the YMCA of Timor-Leste, Reverend Francisco de Vasconcelos, STh. “It’s time for the YMCA of Timor-Leste to be independent and grow. The YMCA of Timor-Leste stand for 20 years back, since 2004."  However, there are challenges for the YMCA in progressing its activities towards the common interest. Twenty years have passed, and now, to move forward, every member and contributor to strengthening the institutional capacity is highly recommended; it has been slow in the past activity implementations affected the organization's mandate. We also acknowledge that the YMCA of Timor-Leste does not have equivalent financial capacity. Nevertheless, we have human resource capacity. Absorbing internal capacity starts with board members contributing a membership fee. As we know, most of the YMCA of Timor-Leste members are students and unemployed. However, we have time to act and utilize the resources to gain future income and support the organisation's sustainability.

GENERAL SECRETARY HANDOVER CEREMONY

Administrative desk to support and assist General Assembly meeting – the station where the master ceremony was used for handling meetings.

Handover ceremony from the outgoing general secretary to the elected general secretary, with witnesses from the elected president and the vice president. The elected board member for the period 2024–2026, hence the handover ceremony, went smoothly and expressed gratitude to the prior General Secretary, Mr. Antonio BS da Silva, who was going through several processes to ensure the existence of the YMCA in Timor-Leste. And it was a successful achievement to establish several activities on the ground.

PROGRAM UPDATES

A. Japan Language Course

The Japan Ambassador for Timor-Leste Mr. Kimura Tetsuya participated in the graduation of the Japanese language course held in 2023. A total of 27 students received the certificates as Japanese native speakers, which was successful. The Japan ambassador handed over the certificate as one of the cooperatives between the Japan Embassy and the YMCA of Timor-Leste.

These Japanese language course programs aim to support the government of Timor-Leste through the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEFOPE) to provide qualified people to compete as sessional workers who will be deploying to Japan.

With results in 2023, two Japanese language course students successfully met the professional criteria and were deployed to Japan. In 2024, SEFOPE requested to submit a list of students who completed their Japanese language course. The YMCA submitted a list of six students who are identified as capable of competing in the national examination that SEFOPE will conduct.

The YMCA of Timor-Leste is committed to maintaining the Japanese language course in 2024, which is the current enrollment status. However, we need support and assistance to refurbish the training room to meet national standards as a training centre. In addition, we are also required to hire a Japanese trainer to continue supporting this program for future plans. The actual trainer is a volunteer, which gives us a limitation on the registration process of the training centre.

B. YMCA Preschool department

The YMCA of Timor-Leste graduated 41 students from the preschool department for the 2023 school year. We hope that the 2024–2026 YMCA of Timor-Leste will also extend to primary schools, as we had limitations on room space and building capacity.

PHOTOBOOTHS

Smile of the YMCA of Timor-Leste youth and board members committed to maintaining YMCA activities in Timor-Leste. Encourage youths to participate in the YMCA of Timor-Leste events and activities. Utilize every opportunity for the business continuity of the organization.