The Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araujo and the Australian Vice Ambassador, Mrs Angela Robinson officially inaugurate a small irrigation project in Wemaresi-Becoan-Sanirin village
The Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo, symbolically inaugurated 28 PNDS Program projects in Batugade Vila Village, Balibo Administrative Post, Bobonaro Municipality (19/05/2015).
Before the inauguration the Prime Minister travelled to Wemaresi-Becoan, Sanirin Village, Balibo Administrative Post, to see first-hand the construction of small irrigation works that was directly implemented by the communities themselves through the PNDS Program.
The communities were really happy with the PNDS Program because it has given direct benefits to them.
“In the past we set up garden plots to plant vegetables like string
The Prime Minister check the construction that was built by the community
beans, bitter gourd, tomatoes and other vegetables during the rainy season, but now we don’t have to wait for it to rain because we have some irrigation that can provide us with water for our plantations, that we can use to plant vegetables”, said Virgilio Pereira, a resident of Sanirin Village.
During this inauguration ceremony the Prime Minister sent a message to the communities to use the facilities properly, especially the infrastructure developed through the PNDS Program in the villages, such as the construction of multi-function community centres, the rehabilitation of schools, roads and small bridges, irrigation and also clean water facilities.
“The support given by the State through the PNDS Program to Villages, Administrative Posts and Municipalities shouldn’t stop here, but it should be used with care for all of the activities that will develop your villages”, said the from Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araújo.
After the inauguration ceremony, the Prime Minister proceeded to examine the construction of a clean water facility in in Lotan Sub-Village, Batugade Village. The community members in this sub-village were really happy with the PNDS Program because it was able to resolve their water problems that they have experienced during times of drought.
The Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araujo looks at the pictures of PNDS projects that the community has already finalized
The inauguration of these PNDS Program projects was also attended by Angela Robinson, Deputy Ambassador of the Australian Government to Timor-Leste, and in her speech she said that it was a great honor to see first-hand the success achieved by the Government and the community through the PNDS Program, because the PNDS Program is a community driven development program that empowers the community to work together, lead and manage the PNDS Program projects by themselves.
“Our work is in cooperation with the Government of Timor-Leste to make the PNDS into one of the best development programs in the world”, said Angela Robinson, the Deputy Ambassador of Australia to Timor Leste.
The Balibo and Cailaco Administrative Posts implemented phase I of the PNDS Program in September 2013. The Balibo Administrative Post has 6 villages with a total of 12 projects and the Cailaco Administrative Post has 8 villages with a total of 16 projects. These projects have been finalized and officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Rui Maria de Araujo.
