Alola Foundation

𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐊𝐍𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐋, 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐔 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐎 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑.

(Alola Media/Bobonaro) On Thursday, September 11th, the Alola Foundation, through HALIKU team, in collaboration with the Timor-Leste National Breast Cancer Commission (KNKSTL) and the Australian Specialist Cancer Nurses-Australia, continued its training program to train local healthcare workers, specifically in wound management for breast cancer patients.

After completing the training for healthcare workers at the Babonaro Community Health Center, a joint team from three institutions continued a series of similar training sessions for healthcare workers at the Balibo Community Health Center. This training aimed to strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers, especially those at the Community Health Center level, to identify breast cancer cases and manage breast cancer-related wounds.
Opening with remarks from the Executive Director of the Alola Foundation, Ms. Maria Guterres, accompanied by the Head of the Balibo Community Health Center, Mr. Zacarias Fernandes, the training, held in the NIFAS room at the Balibo Community Health Center, brought hope for improved healthcare services for breast cancer patients.

In the first session, Dr. João Teodosio Amaral, a Medical Oncologist at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV) and President of the Timor-Leste National Breast Cancer Commission, gave a presentation on breast cancer prevention and treatment.

In the next session, facilitated by Australian Specialist Cancer Nurses team consisting of registered nurses Joanne Catherine Lovelock and Rosemary Katrina Gillies, participants listened to an in-depth presentation on how to care for breast cancer wounds.
"When breast cancer patients present at an advanced stage, they are already stressed and under pressure, so to help them recover, we first help them gain confidence," said facilitator Joanne Catherine Lovelock of the Australian Specialist Cancer Nurses-Australia.

Breast cancer can cause various complications, including open sores on the breast that appear when cancer cells grow and damage surrounding tissue. These sores are not only painful but can also increase the risk of infection if not treated properly. Therefore, proper breast wound care is crucial to ensure patient comfort and maintain their quality of life.

As a non-communicable disease, cancer kills nearly 8 million people each year, according to global data. Of these, approximately 4 million die between the ages of 30 and 69. This reality is one of the reasons why HALIKU has remained committed for over 11 years to providing advice, material, spiritual, and moral support to women with cancer.

"I want to choose to be cured because I want to give others a life full of hope," said Sister Angelita Gomes, FMA, a cancer survivor and one of HALIKU's founders.

Founded with the primary goal of educating the public about women's cancers, HALIKU, or "I choose to be cured," is a unique organization in Timor-Leste dedicated not only to raising awareness about cancer symptoms but also to educating the public on early breast cancer prevention and treatment.

"If we want to save our lives, our futures, and our families, we must go to the nearest health facility, not just rely on traditional medicine," explained Kirsty Sword Gusmão while participating in the first HALIKU discussion 11 years ago.

Over the years, the HALIKU team has conducted various activities to educate the public, including students and institutions, about the symptoms of breast cancer, the risk factors that contribute to its spread, and to educate fellow women about early detection through physical examinations, including encouraging them to immediately detect symptoms as explained by the team.

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ALOLA SIMU VIZITA HUSI EKIPA AUSTRALIA VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL.
(TT | Eng |PT)

(AlolaMedia/Dili) Simu pesoalmente husi Diretora Ezekutiva Fundasaun Alola, Sra. Maria Guterres, vizita husi delegasaun Internasionál Voluntáriu Austrália nian nu’udar momentu amizade ida ne’ebé hametin relasaun entre komunidade Austrália ho Timor-Leste, liuliu família Fundasaun Alola. Vizita delegasaun AVI nian iha loron 10 fulan Setembru nu’udar vizita dahuluk ba Fundasaun Alola no fó oportunidade atu fó vizaun jerál komprensivu kona-ba programa sira Alola nian ba voluntáriu foun sira ne’ebé sei serbí iha Timor-Leste ho bandeira AVI-Austrália.

Maizumenus oras ida nia laran, Diretora Maria Guterres aprezenta kona-ba Fundasaun Alola no programa xave balun ne’ebé nia implementa. Voluntáriu AVI na’in neen ne’e rona ho atensaun hodi hatene kona-ba situasaun feto no labarik sira iha Timor-Leste. Kuriozidade kona-ba asuntu sira-ne’e hamosu pergunta lubuk ida durante enkontru badak ne’ebé hala’o iha salaun enkontru HALIKU.
Tuir enkontru ne’e, Diretor Ezekutivu Alola lori delegasaun AVI hala’o vizita ba Alola nia fasilidade no atividade programa.

Programa Voluntáriu Austrália nian hala'o papél ida ne'ebé importante tebes la'ós de'it iha nasaun Austrália maibé mós iha rai-li'ur. Iha nivel Internasionál, programa ne’ebé finansia hosi Governu Austrália tulun ona nasaun parseiru sira, partikularmente iha rejiaun Ázia-Pasífiku, hodi haruka voluntáriu profisionál sira fahe sira nia abilidade no hametin kapasidade iha setór oioin hanesan edukasaun, saúde, agrikultura, no seluk tan. Australianu sira ne'ebé partisipa iha programa ida-ne'e dedikadu atu fó impaktu pozitivu ba komunidade alvu sira, esplora esperiénsia foun sira, no harii ligasaun sosiál sira ne'ebé amigavel. Sira nia kompromisu hatudu paixaun maka'as atu kontribui ba sosiedade.

Fundasaun Alola rasik kleur ona sai organizasaun sosiedade sivíl ne’ebé hetan benefísiu hosi kontribuisaun hosi serbisu voluntáriu Australianu sira hodi hametin Fundasaun nia kapasidade iha setór oioin, hahú hosi instituisaun sira to’o esforsu advokasia, inklui dezenvolvimentu ekonómiku feto nian. Prezensa delegasaun AVI nian iha eskritóriu Alola nian iha semana ne’e la’ós de’it hametin amizade hirak ne’e maibé sai mós hanesan ponte ba kolaborasaun ne’ebé boot liután iha futuru.

Dala ida tan, ami hato'o ami nia apresiasaun klean ba delegasaun AVI ne'ebé fó tempu hodi mai aprende kona-ba Alola. Ami hein katak informasaun ne’ebé ami hato’o sai útil ba sira-nia serbisu iha Timor-Leste.
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Welcomed personally by the Executive Director of the Alola Foundation, Ms. Maria Guterres, the visit of the Australian Volunteer International (AVI) delegation was a moment of friendship that strengthened the relationship between the Australian community and Timor-Leste, especially the Alola Foundation family. The AVI delegation's visit on September 10th was the first for the Alola Foundation and provided an opportunity to provide a comprehensive overview of Alola's programs to the new volunteers who will be serving in Timor-Leste under the AVI-Australia banner.
For approximately an hour, Director Maria Guterres presented about the Alola Foundation and several key programs it implements. The six AVI volunteers listened attentively to learn about the situation of women and children in Timor-Leste. Curiosity about these issues led to numerous questions during the brief meeting held in the HALIKU meeting room.

Following the meeting, the Executive Director of Alola took the AVI delegation on a tour of Alola's facilities and program activities.
The Australian Volunteers International Program plays a vital role not only in Australia but also abroad. Internationally, the Australian Government-funded program has assisted partner countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, by sending professional volunteers to share skills and strengthen capacity in various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and others. Australians participating in this program are dedicated to making a positive impact on target communities, exploring new experiences, and building friendly social connections. Their commitment demonstrates a strong passion for contributing to society.

The Alola Foundation itself has long been a civil society organization, benefiting from contributions from Australian volunteers who work to strengthen the Foundation's capacity in various sectors, from institutions to advocacy efforts, including women's economic development. The presence of the AVI delegation at the Alola office this week will not only strengthen these friendships but also serve as a bridge for even greater collaboration in the future.

Once again, we extend our deepest appreciation to the AVI delegation for taking the time to come and learn about Alola. We hope that the information we provided will be useful in their work in Timor-Leste.

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Recebida pessoalmente pela Diretora Executiva da Fundação Alola, Sra. Maria Guterres, a visita da delegação da Australian Volunteer International foi um momento de amizade que fortaleceu a relação entre a comunidade australiana e Timor-Leste, especialmente a família da Fundação Alola. A visita da delegação da AVI no dia 10 de Setembro foi a primeira da Fundação Alola e proporcionou uma oportunidade para apresentar uma visão geral abrangente dos programas da Alola aos novos voluntários que irão servir em Timor-Leste sob a bandeira da AVI-Austrália.

Aproximadamente uma hora, a Diretora Maria Guterres apresentou a Fundação Alola e vários programas importantes que esta implementa. Os seis voluntários da AVI ouviram atentamente para se inteirarem da situação das mulheres e crianças em Timor-Leste. A curiosidade sobre estas questões levou a inúmeras questões durante o breve encontro realizado na sala de reuniões da HALIKU.
Após a reunião, a Diretora Executiva da Alola levou a delegação da AVI numa visita às instalações e atividades do programa da Alola.
O Programa de Voluntários Australianos desempenha um papel vital não só na Austrália, mas também no estrangeiro.
Internacionalmente, o programa, financiado pelo governo australiano, tem auxiliado os países parceiros, particularmente na região da Ásia-Pacífico, enviando voluntários profissionais para partilhar competências e reforçar a capacidade em diversos setores, como a educação, a saúde, a agricultura e outros. Os australianos que participam neste programa dedicam-se a causar um impacto positivo nas comunidades-alvo, explorando novas experiências e construindo ligações sociais amigáveis. O seu empenho demonstra uma forte paixão por contribuir para a sociedade.

A Fundação Alola é, desde há muito, uma organização da sociedade civil, beneficiando dos contributos de voluntários australianos que trabalham para reforçar a capacidade da Fundação em diversos sectores, desde instituições a esforços de advocacia, incluindo o desenvolvimento económico das mulheres. A presença da delegação da AVI no escritório da Alola esta semana não só irá fortalecer estas amizades, como também servirá de ponte para uma colaboração ainda maior no futuro.

Mais uma vez, expressamos o nosso profundo agradecimento à delegação da AVI por ter dedicado o seu tempo para vir e aprender sobre a Alola. Esperamos que as informações fornecidas sejam úteis no seu trabalho em Timor-Leste.