Summary of the History of Organization: Kolegas da Paz (KDP)

or Friends of Peace, was established in Viqueque municipality on 25 August 2008 with support from AUTOCARE International before the end of its mission in Timor-Leste, and fully registered on 24 November 2009.

KDP is a Timorese non-government organization established with an overall focus on promoting peace building through advocacy, sustainable livelihoods, disaster risk reduction/food security, capacity building for youth, nutrition, and women empowerment program. After established, KDP operating in Viqueque municipality then expanded its operation to cover Baucau and Lautem Municipalities in 2021 up to the moment.

KDP was established with the inspiration of working experience with AUSTCARE International that has good reputation in implementing peace building and Disaster Risks Reduction (DRR) Programs and successfully brought the Internal Displaced People (IDP) due to civil unrest back to Viqueque municipality.

This included the experience of conducting mediation, dialogue and reconciliation meetings with political parties, government and the community for mutual acceptance purposes in peace environment based on PEACE declaration of youth from the conflicted areas. Coordinated and facilitated financial support to the families whose house were destroyed during the crisis, which supported by the Ministry of Social Solidariedade (MSS), with good collaboration and good working coordination among national and municipal level.

Before the end of AUSTCARE International’s missioning Timor-Leste, the Timorese staff included the current director submitted the proposal to continue the work and the vision of AUSTCARE International. The proposal approved by AUSTCARE head office in Sydney, then team started to organize everything to establish the organization. The organization finally established a month before the end of AUSTCARE Mission and registered at FONGTIL with recommendations from UNDP and AUSTCARE.

A. Organizational context

Ø Vision, Mission, and Values

· Our vision

KDP has its own organizational vision that says: “The Timorese society must live in peace, healthy and prosperity.”

· Our mission:

To achieve the vision, KDP must work through its mission statements below:

1. Increase the quality of education and improve the infrastructure of pre-schools’ facility

2. Provide capacity building to youths trainers and establish working coordination with relevant institutions

3. Conduct civil education campaign to increase the community participation and awareness on nutrition

4. Increase agriculture production through training and improve agricultural infrastructure

5. Increase knowledge and capacity of youths in leadership through civic education

· Our values:

In achieving its vision and mission, KDP adhered to the values of “Democracy, Human Rights, and Child Protection”. And upholding the principles of:

1. Respecting Human Rights

2. Gender Equality

3. No Discrimination

4. Non-profit

5. Impartial

6. Working together

7. Respect each other

8. Transparency

Ø Strategic priorities

· Goal

Timorese society that free from poverty and live in peace:

1. Everyone must live in an educated condition

2. Everyone must comply with the law order

· Objectives

1. Pre-schools have appropriate conditions.

2. The trainers must have the ability based on their profession.

3. Increased nutrition for the households and sustainable income

4. Increased youth leadership capacity to manage conflict

· Output

1. Work to improve infrastructure facility

2. Have integrated module and learning materials to train facilitators

3. Integrated efforts to increase food production to ensure nutrition assurance

4. Introduce appropriate technology to increase food processing skills

5. Youth become peace actors

6. Organizasaun KDP sai efetivu no efisien

Ø Organization capacity

KDP currently have 12 staff included the director, officially hired to implement, monitor and control the programs implement through the organization. The skills and knowledge of all staff are developed through formal and on the job training and encouraged to handle multiple tasks, even though new staff are added based on the program and job needs.

The organization have strong capacity in training facilitation, community mobilization, stakeholders coordination and good relationship with community, cultural, church and government leaders as well as donors.

Ø Program Focus and Program Summary

· Program focus

o FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE

§ Targeted households have sufficient quality of food all year round

§ Targeted households are consuming diversified diets including those of young children

§ Targeted households are sustainably producing food with appropriate environmental conservation practices and technology

§ Targeted communities by the program/projects promote water conservation, environmental protection

§ Households in target communities are empowered to mitigate and recover from disasters

o IMPROVED WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH)

§ Families and communities have sustainable access to adequate safe drinking water

§ Target communities with access to appropriate and improved sanitation facilities

§ Communities practicing safe disposal

o FARMER FIELD & CLIMATE SCHOOL FOR AGRICULTURE

§ Improve farmers technical skills and knowledge on organic farming

§ Utilization of local available organic materials as fertilizer, and pesticides

§ The use of local organic materials for water and land conservation

§ Linking farmers to market

· Summary of program

o Climate change adaptation/DRR/Food Security

To improve agricultural production, KDP will focus on soil fertility improvement, water conservation and management, seed saving, home gardening, integrated pest management and other sustainable Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). DRR initiatives will complement agricultural production priorities. The priority aim is to ensure self-sufficiency in food by households, ensuring that households produce primarily for home consumption, considering the nutritional requirements of families. (Partner UNDP)

o Youth Empowerment Services (YES)

Youth for Change Program (Strengthening Families Against Violence): To prepare young people for productive endeavours, KDP will provide opportunities for learning new skills and for enhancing social relations with peers and adults. Implementation strategies include sharing information on awareness of gender-based violence, anger management, and sexual harassment, intervention activities include: strengthening youth through local food processing, VSLA (Village Saving and Loan Association), and Link Products to Market (funded by GIZ Timor-Leste)

o Economic Development & Livelihood

Targeted households have sustainable income and assets to meet the household needs including food, health and education

Communities in programs/projects are social, economically empowered through access to finance, market and technology to solve their own problems and create wealth

A. Policy and procedures including system of accountability

1) Statute of the organizasaun

2) HR Manuals

3) Fraud Policy

4) Manual Financas

5) Child Protection

6) Code of Conduct

7) Protection Policy

8) IT Policy