Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion presides over the opening of a seminar that marks the start of the child protection project
On February 6th, 2025, the Minister for Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Verónica das Dores, accompanied by the President of the Institute for the Protection of Children's Rights (INDDICA), Dinorah Granadeiro, took part in the seminar that kicked off the project “Free to Be Ourselves - Empowering the Most Vulnerable Children to Claim Their Rights”. The initiative, funded by the European Union and implemented by Plan International Timor-Leste, in collaboration with civil society organizations Ba Futuru and Mane Ho Vizaun Foun, aims to strengthen the protection of children's rights and guarantee their access to essential services.
The Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion emphasized the importance of this initiative in consolidating the national child protection policy. “The defense of children's rights is enshrined in the Constitution, and the MSSI has worked hard, in collaboration with local and international organizations, to support and protect children's rights”, said Verónica das Dores. 
Expected to last three years, the project will be implemented in the municipalities of Dili, Baucau, Ermera and Manufahi. The President of INDDICA, Dinorah Granadeiro, emphasized the need for a collective commitment to guarantee child protection, saying that “we all have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable children. We must ensure that they have the confidence to claim their rights and denounce situations of violence or abuse”. 
During the seminar, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the INDDICA Public Institute and Plan International Timor-Leste, with the aim of solidifying the mutual commitment to promoting and defending the rights and protection of children. 
The main objectives of the “Free to Be Ourselves” project are to prevent violence against children, eliminate discriminatory practices, strengthen the training of carers and community agents and strengthen the role of civil society in the defense of children's rights. A digital platform will also be launched aimed at education, reporting violations and promoting children's participation. 
The Ambassador of European Union to Timor-Leste, Marc Friedrich, on the signing of the project contract last December, said that “this project is driven by a simple but profound vision: all children deserve to grow up free from violence and empowered to claim their rights”.
