By Fr. Jolino Vieira, SDB

       Timor-leste, 26 march 2022 -- In the recently concluded first quarter meeting of the EAO DBGA Eco-Team Members for the year 2022, the Province of Timor Leste showcased in a short video presentation their various climate-friendly activities practised by the following Salesian communities.

       Planting rice, which has been done for quite a long time usually 2 or 3 times a year, has made the Salesian community of Quelicai self-sustaining. Depending upon the result of the rice field, it has contributed a lot to their food security every year, ensured better nutrition and reduced the amount of money spent in buying from the market. One of the ministries managed by the Salesian community in Fuiloro is an agricultural school. Hence, their food and vegetables mostly came from their agricultural production. Fr. Rolando Fernandes, SDB, a missionary from the Philippine-North province currently assigned in Fuiloro is helping the agriculture students in planting different kinds of vegetables and trees.

       Meanwhile, the Post-Novitiate at Don Bosco Comoro was able to plant vegetables for their daily necessity despite having a very small land in the backyard. They are currently working together with a private organization who is collecting the plastics they gathered for recycling. This cooperation has been done in a year.

       The TVET Center Community in Comoro is also training their students to do the segregation of waste in their school vicinity. Fr. Jolino Vieira, the provincial animator of the Don Bosco Green Alliance of Timor-Leste who is currently assigned in the said community, continuously advocating the idea of eco-friendly campus to the students and the staff of the school. They will soon have a machine for recycling plastic with the help from UNDP-Timor-Leste.

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