On 24 September 2024, H.E. Mr. Atipat Rojanapaibulya, Ambassador of Thailand to Timor-Leste, presided over the official handover of a vegetable garden, supported by the Royal Thai Embassy for school lunch program, to Ediri School in Liquiçá Municipality. The handover ceremony was attended by Mr. Marcelino de Jesus Pereira, Chief of Cabinet of the President of Liquiça Municipal Authority, and Mr. Marcelino Mendonça Pereira, Director of Agriculture of Dili Municipality, teachers, students and their parents, as well as people in the community. On this occasion, a cooking of Thai dishes using fresh produce from the project was also demonstrated.

Earlier in the morning, the Embassy organised a workshop on organic compost, led by Mr. Salvador Saldanha R. Ribeiro, Chief of the Department of Agricultural Extension from the Dili Municipality Administration, as well as Mr. Adelino dos Santos, Senior Extensionist, and Mr. Jeronimo Gouveia, Veterinary Livestock Technician from the Liquiça Municipality Administration. It was attended by 30 participants from the parent-teacher association and the local community.

Initiated in September 2023, the project has received ongoing support from the Royal Thai Embassy to improve water access, build a duck shelter, and establish vegetable plots with a drip irrigation system. This year, a total of 5 workshops have been conducted, covering topics such as applying SEP in Timor-Leste, raising ducks for school lunch protein, alternative duck feed from household and agricultural waste, vegetable cultivation and organic compost. The project underscores the importance of strengthening partnerships between schools, communities, and local authorities to adapt SEP to the local context and community needs, ensuring long-term sustainability. It is hoped that the project can serve as a model for other schools in the future.

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