Impact: Community Empowerment Timor-Leste Aileu

Meet Alsina, she’s the secretary of her Village’s Citizen Voice and Action Committee, her community faced challenges and inconveniences in the health services they received. With only 1 midwife in the village, no medical doctor, no chairs that mothers and children could sit while waiting, and an  Inefficient referral system, meaning patients couldn’t get access to quality treatment.

When Alsina’s community got involved in World Vision’s Citizen Voice and Action program, they were able to understand their rights as citizens, and the health service standards designed by the government and learn how to engage with the government. Her community gathered voices to speak and represent themselves.

Life today looks different. The health services are now improved including facilities, medical staff, and a referral system. Alsina’s community members are so happy to see the changes which they have made.

Citizen Voice and Action is part of the Better Food Better Health project, which is supported by the Australian Government through ANCP.

Timor-Leste has one of the highest rates of undernutrition globally, 46% of children under the age of 5 suffer from stunting, wasting or being severely underweight. World Vision’s Better Food, Better Health (BFBH) project is a nutrition-sensitive agriculture project aiming to improve nutrition for 31,806 direct beneficiaries in Timor-Leste. The project will promote production and utilisation of six “superfoods”: soybeans, mung beans, red kidney beans, orange sweet potato, moringa and eggs.