On 15–16 May 2025, the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL) Manufahi Branch, in collaboration with the Civil Protection Authority (APC) and a CVTL national facilitator, conducted Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) training for local leaders in Mindelo village, Manufahi Municipality. The two-day training brought together 20 participants 5 women and 15 men with the goal of enhancing their knowledge and readiness to manage natural disasters more effectively.
Mr. Josafat de Araujo, CVTL’s Early Action Protocol (EAP) Manager, emphasized that the training aimed to build the capacity of community leaders to respond safely and efficiently when disasters strike. In addition to the knowledge-sharing sessions, the initiative formally established the Village Disaster Management Commission (KJDS) for Mindelo Village. To further support local preparedness, loudspeakers (TOA) were distributed for use in evacuation alerts across four sub-villages: Orsenaco, Maubessi, Aidila, and Binani.
These community-based resilience efforts were made possible through funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (MOFA), channeled via the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) under the Integrated Community-Based Risk Reduction (ICBRR) Program. This partnership reflects ongoing international support for grassroots disaster preparedness in Timor-Leste.
