Dirce Sarmento is ChildFund Timor-Leste’s health officer. She is also the mother of a young and active toddler boy, Emanuel aged almost two years, so understands only too well both the joys and fears that accompany motherhood.

“I was very lucky during my pregnancy and delivery, because I had lots of support from midwives, as well as doctor in Dili’s National Hospital. It was very helpful to me because it was my first time and I did not have much knowledge on how to deliver a newborn,” says Dirce.

In Timor-Leste, one-third of all child deaths occur in the first month of life. Dirce says this is largely due to the shortage of proper healthcare facilities in rural areas, many of which lack even the most basic equipment, as well as low levels of education among parents on common child health issues.

Dirce explains: “Many mothers don’t know that they should have regular check-ups during pregnancy, as well as once the child is born. In some community health centres, the equipment and facilities needed to care for newborns just isn’t available, so a baby experiencing problems has very little support.”

Part of Dirce’s role is to establish and facilitate Mother Support Groups. Not dissimilar to those established by local government health workers in Australia, these groups provide mothers, and new mums in particular, with peer support and guidance. They also make it easy for organisations like ChildFund Timor-Leste to share information, and provide advice on child health and development.