Baucau; Laga, 29 August 2026 (CVTL) — The Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL) Baucau Branch held youth camp in Weru-Mata Village, Laga, Baucau Municipality, bringing together 109 participants for three days of learning, community engagement and volunteer activities under the theme “Together in Humanity.”
The three-day camp brought together CVTL Baucau Branch volunteers, students and youth from EBC.01, ICFP, JBK, CMJB, CAFÉ School, ESG.01 Tirilolo and ESG.02 Vila-nova Baucau, as well as CVTL members, community representatives and the organising committee.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the Weru-Mata village leadership, CVTL Youth Volunteer Management, the CVTL Baucau Branch, Laga Police Station, the Baucau Municipal President’s Office, former CVTL Baucau Branch leadership, the CVTL Municipality Governing Board (CDM), the APC representative, the Baucau Municipal Education Directorate and the BOP Region I.
Speaking at the opening, Mr. António Paulo Ribeiro, representing the village leadership as the Weru-Mata Village Chief, described the camp as a new and important activity for the community. “For us, this activity is something new for this village. It can motivate children and young people in the village and create opportunities for the community and youth to learn from one another,” he said. He also expressed his appreciation to the organising committee for choosing Weru-Mata as the location for the camp.
Feliz Cristóvão Pinto, CVTL Youth Volunteer Manager, highlighted the importance of the camp’s theme, “Together in Humanity,” saying it encourages young people to respect and uphold humanity. “Reflecting on the theme ‘Together in Humanity’, it teaches us how to respect humanity. Even though the activity was carried out with a limited budget and did not fully meet expectations, we hope that everyone can contribute and build on this experience. If the Branch has new proposals in the future, we can work together to ensure that activities are implemented successfully,” he said.
Meanwhile, Regina de Sousa, President of the CVTL Baucau Branch, expressed her gratitude to the Weru-Mata community for welcoming the youth and allowing them to hold the camp in the area. “First of all, I would like to thank the village leadership for welcoming the youth and allowing us to gather here. Henry Dunant taught us to help people without looking at their colour,” she said. She added that young people have an important role in development and need to understand themselves, recognise their weaknesses and seek solutions to address them.
Carlos Ximenes, Commander of the Laga Police Station, congratulated the volunteers and young people who participated in the camp. He noted that although there are many young people in the community, only a limited number had the opportunity to participate in the camp.
He encouraged participants to understand their responsibilities as young people and future leaders of the country. “As young people, you need to understand your role because you are the future of this nation. Therefore, you need to prepare yourselves well,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of youth and community contributions in maintaining stability in Laga.
“The instability in Laga is something you have seen yourselves. Things can run well because of everyone’s contribution, both from the community and from young people. I encourage you to follow the programmes you have planned and not bring other things that could provoke the situation, so that this activity can proceed well,” Ximenes said.
He also called on the community to continue supporting and looking after young people so that they can contribute positively to the community.
Florindo Pereira, representing the President of Baucau Municipality, said the establishment of the village would bring more activities and opportunities for the community. “After this village was established, we will have many activities here. This village was only established one year ago. We thank CVTL for choosing this location to hold the camp. Learning does not only happen at school, but also through activities such as those organised by CVTL,” he said.
The camp included a range of training sessions designed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and practical skills.
On the first day, the Baucau Traffic Police provided training on Traffic Law. The CVTL National Governing Board delivered a session on Youth Participation in Municipal Development, while the CVTL Baucau Branch President discussed youth participation in development. The Municipal Civil Protection Service provided training on Natural Disaster Management, and a CVTL Youth Officer led a session on Healthy Youth.
On the second day, participants took part in three sessions led by the Director of SEFOPE, focusing on the role of SEFOPE and its programmes. The CVTL Baucau Branch Coordinator also delivered a programme dissemination session, followed by First Aid training facilitated by CVTL trainers.
The programme also included practical and community-based activities. Volunteers visited Lagoa Masin-Fatuk, participated in a coastal clean-up at Weru-Mata, and concluded the camp with a first-aid simulation exercise.
The three-day youth camp provided an opportunity for young people, volunteers and community members to strengthen their knowledge, develop leadership and practical skills, promote humanitarian values and build stronger relationships with the local community.
The activity was supported by Gabinete de Apoio para a Sociedade Civil, and local sponsor by Loja Mateus, Telemor, Tipografia, Amizade Lotaria, Loja Simples, Diocese, as well as members of the CVTL Board members and CVTL volunteers.
