Dili NGO criticizes 'poor results' of Brazilian aid programs

Subject: LUSA: Dili NGO criticizes 'poor results' of Brazilian aid programs

East Timor: Dili NGO criticizes 'poor results' of Brazilian aid programs

Dili, Aug. 4 (Lusa) - One of East Timor's leading non- governmental organizations has criticized "the poor results" of Brazilian aid programs in the Asian country.

Among other criticism, included in an in-depth report of Brazilian aid programs since 2000, obtained by Lusa at the weekend, the La+o Hamutuk NGO underlined the use of the Portuguese language as a hurdle in Brasilia's education and professional training projects.

While Portuguese has been adopted as one of East Timor's official languages, the organization notes that only 5 percent of the country's estimated 850,000 people speak it.

"The poor results of the projects...demonstrate that projects designed for a Brazilian context cannot be implemented effectively in East Timor without great changes to adapt them to existing differences", the report said.

While thanking Brazil, "not a wealthy country", for its aid, La'o Hamutuk also pointed to the need for "strategic changes" in Brasilia's aid policies, specifically mentioning the need for greater involvement of Timorese civil society in the development of programs.

ASP/SAS Lusa

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