8th session of the “Father of Change” Program in Namolesso. Photo:Fokupers Lens. Date:20/6/2026
Namolesso, 20 June 2026; Fokupers held its eighth session of the “Father for Change” Program with 15 couples in Namolesso village, Lequidoe Administrative Post, Aileu Municipality. This session, themed “Taking Care of Your Child,” aims to strengthen parents’ understanding of the importance of the family’s role in supporting child development.
Through collaborative learning and reflection, participants explore the needs of children aged 0-5 years and how parents can respond appropriately through love, good communication, and positive interactions in everyday life.
In this session, participants discussed and shared experiences about child development according to age, the importance of communication between parents and children, and how to provide the attention, security, and love that children need for healthy growth. Participants also reflected on the importance of responsibility as parents in childcare.
Activities were conducted in a participatory manner through group discussions, practical exercises, and joint reflection. This method helped participants understand that parenting is a shared responsibility that requires cooperation, mutual respect, and active involvement from the parent.
An important topic in this session is positive discipline, which emphasizes a non-violent parenting approach.
Participants learned about the negative impacts of actions such as hitting, belittling, yelling on a child’s emotional development and future. Through various practices and discussions, parents gain skills in implementing parenting methods based on respect, patience, understanding, and healthy communication.
The “Fathers for Change” program continues to encourage men’s involvement in the family and building healthy, equal, and violence-free families. By strengthening parenting capacity, this program contributes to creating a safe and supportive environment for children to grow and develop optimally.
As a key message of this session, participants were encouraged to remember that “a child’s future begins with attention today. When mothers and fathers work together with love and respect, they can help children become healthy, confident, and future-ready.”
Through this activity, Fokupers continues to strengthen its commitment to promote positive parenting, gender equality, and the protection of children’s rights in Timor-Leste.
In addition, Fokupers also provides playful learning activities with children to give parents space to actively participate. Fifteen children actively participated, learning the values of equality, mutual respect, and living without violence from an early age.
This session was facilitated by Sra. Lucia Fátima da Silva and Mr. Silveiro da Silva de Araújo.
The program is funded by Misereor with technical support from The Asia Foundation – Nabilan and NGO HAMNASA.
