Alola Foundation"Strong Women Strong Nation"
Alola Foundation
To contribute to the achievement of SDG 2, 3 and 5 and in alignment with the National Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030, Fundasaun Alola continues its commitment to improving Maternal and Child Health through promotion, education, and support on Infant and Young Child Feeding, sexual reproductive health for adolescents, women’s cancer raising awareness, support and referral, and Maternal, Nutrition, Child health (MNCH) & WASH programs.
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program is one of the strategic programs of the Alola Foundation which was established in February 2003. Initially, the MCH program was initiated through the establishment of the National Breastfeeding Association (NBFA) which then continued with the establishment of support groups called Mother Support Groups (MSG/GSI) in the same year. The MSG/GSI initiative was implemented by Alola as part of the ten steps towards successful breastfeeding, which is connected to the Baby-Friendly Hospital (BFHI) initiative. Initially, MSG activities focused on improving the health and nutritional status of children in Timor-Leste through the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding until the age of two years.
To provide full support for changes in the health situation of mothers and children in Timor-Leste, in 2006, the Alola Foundation again expanded its MCH program area by integrating maternity packages, women’s health, and newborn care into its activities. In 2009, the Alola Foundation handed over the continuation of the NBFA implementation to the Nutrition Department of the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Since its official adoption by Timor-Leste in 2006, Infant and Young Child Feeding has been a national program under the Department of Nutrition, Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste. Fundasaun Alola has been one of the implementers responsible for training health care workers and target groups at the community level. Through the Mother Support Groups (MSG) and Suku Hadomi Inan no Oan (Village of Love of Mothers and Children / SHIO), Alola distributes information to encourage and support mothers to initiate breastfeeding immediately after delivery, to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months after birth and to continue breastfeeding for up to two years, accompanied by the introduction of appropriate complementary foods.
In 2023-2024, with the support from UNICEF, the MCH program continue to strengthen its program on the nutrition key care practices, MNCH and WASH program in Dili, Atauru, Aileu, Lautem, Viqueque, Ainaro and Liquica municipality. The project aiming to increase access to high quality of pre-natal, delivery, post-natal, and reduce under five mortality, increase immunization coverage; improve mother and child nutrition practices, improve access to and quality of nutrition services, and nutrition behaviour change program and improve access to clean water and improved sanitation.
In addition, to contribute to SDG 2 to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030, in May 2023, Fundasaun Alola has been elected by the CSA as a leading agency to lead the Scale Up Nutrition of Timor-Leste Civil Society Network (SUN CSN). The SUN movement itself is a country-led multisectoral/stakeholder movement advancing prosperity for people through nutrition for all. The SUN CSN of Timor-Leste was established through a consultation with FONGTIL and implemented under the provision of SUN National Focal Point.
Fundasaun Alola established its Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section in February 2003 through the creation of the National Breastfeeding Association (NBFA). In the same year, the Alola foundation began establishing the Mother Support Groups (MSG) as part of the ten steps to successful breastfeeding, which is connected with the Baby Friendly Hospital initiative.
To provide full support for changes in the health situation of mothers and children in Timor-Leste, in 2006, the Alola Foundation again expanded its MCH program area by integrating maternity packages, women’s health, and newborn care into its activities.
In 2007, Fundasaun Alola piloted the provision of counseling by MSG members at Dili National Hospital and Baucau Referral Hospital. This counseling was successful in extending the coverage and promotion of breastfeeding. At the same year, Alola officially launched the Village Love Mother and Child – Suku Hadomi Inan and Oan (SHIO) project to promote initiatives to promote safe childbirth at the community level.
In 2007/2008, Alola with consultation with the Ministry of Health, piloted projct Suku Hadomi Inan no Oan – SHIO (The village loves its mothers and children). This is a safe motherhood initiative, which aims to prepare villages for safe deliveries and motherhood, by creating a community network.
In 2009, NBFA was handed over to the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Nutrition Department. To facilitate the handover process, Fundasaun Alola seconded a senior staff member for two days to work with MoH. Fundasaun Alola replaced NBFA with the Breastfeeding Promotion Program (BPP)
In 2012 with support from UNICEF, the MCH program established the Birth Preparedness Program (BPP) that was piloted within Hatolia sub-districts which consists of seven villages.
In 2013, with support from UNICEF, The MCH program has conducted Monitoring and Evaluation on Community Case Management Based on based on the CCM guideline that created by MoH and Hadiak. The objective of the CCM is to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality through improving access to quality of care for sick children at community level.
In 2014 with the support from UNFPA, the MCH program expands the Birth Preparedness Program (BPP) into Oecusse District within 12 villages. The aims of the project are to support pregnant women to have a birth plan and involve community participation in helping and supporting women to reach professional delivery care when labour begins by organizing transport to a health facility.
HALIKU is an education and support program for women with cancer in Timor-Leste founded in February 2014 by Kirsty Sword Gusmao and other cancer survivors, Ms. Isabel Fernandes dé Lima and Sister Angelita Gomes. On March 7, 2014, the Minister of Health of Timor-Leste, Dr. Sergio Lobo, officially inaugurated HALIKU at the Dili Convention Center (DCC).
Through strong support from the Sunrise Joint Venture (SJV), in 2017, the Alola Foundation has started implementing the SHIO program in Aileu Municipality. During approximately five years of intervention at the village level, this project has made many changes to the community’s situation, especially related to maternal and child health. Now, many mothers from 8 villages are targeted to give birth at the nearest health facility.
In 2017, Alola’s MCH program continued to strengthen its birth preparedness plan project in 18 villages in Oecusse. Evaluation results show that from the total of 1,164 deliveries between January and November, 647 took place at home assisted by health workers; 313 deliveries occurred at a Community Health Center or health post; and, 204 deliveries were at home assisted by a Traditional Birth Attendance. Due to the distance and lack of health a facility which under construction makes women decided to deliver at home. Therefore, the project has had encouraged pregnant mother to deliver in health facility nearby for safe birth. The referral assistances to health post, Community Health Centers or Hospital that contribute by Birth Preparedness Planning coordinators has increased to 51 percent compared to last year’s achievement which only 31 percent.
Signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Alola Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. This signing became an important event marking the close cooperation between UNFPA and the Alola Foundation for a long period. For UNPFA itself, the signatory is also one of the signatories of cooperation for the longest period after the first time UNPFA was established in Timor-Leste.
In 2018, HALIKU which is a member of the Timor-Leste National Committee on Breast Cancer became a member of the Southeast Asian Cancer Network and the International Union for Cancer Control.
Alola Foundation officially launches a new project named the Integrated Program Approach. The launch activities held in the Administrative Post of Turiscai are an important moment for the long-term commitment of Alola to significant changes in the living conditions of women and children in rural areas. In this integrated project, the initial stage will concentrate on two villages in the Turiscai region by combining various activities from the 4 programs owned by the Alola Foundation with the main target to reduce the number of malnutrition in the community. The villages of Caimauk and Manumera are the initial targets of this big project.
Alola Foundation collaboration with Serbisu Saúde Munisipiu (SSM) Liquica – Ministry of Health and the ConocoPhillips conducted house-to-house socialization campaign phase 2 as one of the measures to prevent the spread of 2019 Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in municipality of Liquica. This socialization will reach 8 villages, namely Lauhata, Vaviquinia, Loidahar, Hatuquesi, Maubara Lissa, Vatuboro, Fatumasi, Vatuvou and also involves members of the SHIO group who has already been established by Alola. Through the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program, Alola will also hand over water tank packages to help hand-sanitation facilities to the Bazartete and Maubara health centers.
The Alola Foundation on Wednesday (9/2) signed a memorandum of understanding with ChildFund Timor-Leste for 2 projects focused on health and education sector. In the signing ceremony, the Alola Foundation was represented by CEO Maria Imaculada Guterres who was accompanied by the Program Manager for Education and Program Manager for Maternal and Child Health, while ChildFund Timor-Leste was represented by Country Director, Erine Dijkstra accompanied by Simon Mugabi as Program Manager.
In solidarity for the flood victims and to support Ministry of Health, Alola’s team with technical and logistical support from MCH-IYCF Consultant, Dr. Magdalena Whoolery established the the first “Nurturing Care – Breastfeeding Rescue” safe place for the emergency response. The Nurturing space is compact and mobile, providing an innovative means to integrate Maternal Child Health (MCH) and Infant, Young Child Feeding (IYCF) recommended practices for emergencies. The space provides comfort to all mothers, children and their families in difficult times, where they can access life saving breastfeeding support, including relactation to re-establish breastfeeding for mixed/formula feeding mothers.
With the support from UNICEF, the MCH program continue to strengthen its program on the nutrition key care practices, MNCH and WASH program in Dili, Atauru, Aileu, Lautem, Viqueque, Ainaro and Liquica municipality. The project aiming to increase access to high quality of pre-natal, delivery, post-natal, and reduce under five mortality, increase immunization coverage; improve mother and child nutrition practices, improve access to and quality of nutrition services, and nutrition behaviour change program and improve access to clean water and improved sanitation.
In order to ensure the continuation of activities to improve the health status of women and children in Liquica Municipality and the Dili National Hospital including the Baucau Hospital, the company SANTOS Ltd and the Alola Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing, which took place on March 28, 2023 at the Santos Office – Dili, was the 17th signing of the agreement and signed directly by the CEO of Alola Foundation, Ms. Maria Guterres and witnessed by External Relations Officer of SANTOS Ltd, Mr. David de Araújo
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Fortify the community member become critical with the deep awareness to contribute and taking the responsibility of Maternal and Child health issue within their communities are the strategies that adopted and applying by Alola Foundation in designing and implementing the activities in national and rural area.
Alola Foundation continue to support existing SHIO group members in municipality level by conducting monthly meetings, health promotion activities, cooking complementary food demonstration, community discussions, celebration of World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) and counselling provisions at health facilities and SISCa posts.
The Darulete village, located at an altitude of 1264 meters and Vatuboro village are two of the locations that have benefited from the SHIO program and is an important part of the efforts of local communities who work voluntarily to improve the health of mothers and children.
This short documentation provides an overview of the efforts of the Alola together with SHIO group members in raising public awareness about maternal and child health in Liquiçá Municipality.
