Maria’s leadership journey: Driving change and strengthening communities

© ILO

© ILO

VIQUEQUE, Timor-Leste (ILO News) - In the serene village of Uma Uain Kraik, nestled in the heart of Viqueque, Timor-Leste, lives Maria Evangelina, a 44-year-old mother of four. Maria's life is a testament to resilience and dedication. She has always been an active member of her community, working tirelessly to improve the lives of those around her.

Cooperativa de Creditu Union Tane Malu (CCU TM), which means "helping each other," was established in 2021 and has grown from 20 to 41 members, with 28 female and 13 male members. As the treasurer of the CCU Tane Malu for the last four years, Maria has been managing the cooperative's finances and working with members to navigate the complexities of cooperative management.

Under the EU funded Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience Programme, managed by the ILO, she was selected as a co-trainer responsible for rolling out Agroforestry Skills training to cooperative members on topics including managing family finances and creating various products from coconut. Her leadership, confidence, and communication skills made her an ideal candidate for this role.

She describes the experience as empowering, boosting her confidence in public speaking and enhancing her ability to support her cooperative members.

Maria's co-operative journey took a transformative turn when she became involved in the Agricultural Cooperative Management Training of Trainers from 7-11 April 2025 organized by the ILO for the Agroforestry Skills project. Master Trainers from the ILO International Training Centre (ITC) in Turin equipped cooperative managers with the skills needed to manage agricultural cooperatives effectively and, most importantly, developed their ability to train others.

The Agricultural Cooperative Management Training has been a game-changer for Maria. The training providing the tools she needed to drive positive change in her cooperative and community. She describes the experience as empowering, boosting her confidence in public speaking and enhancing her ability to support her cooperative members. The training covered essential aspects of cooperative management, improving services offered to the members, increasing ownership and commitment of the members, and ultimately improving their livelihoods.

© ILO

© ILO

Maria's journey is particularly remarkable given the context of Timor-Leste's predominantly patriarchal culture. Women in Timor-Leste often face significant challenges in leadership opportunities and career development and bear the greatest burden of family responsibilities. Despite these barriers, and with the support of her family, Maria has fully engaged with the training and emerged as a leader and a role model for other women in her community.

She believes that the skills and knowledge gained from the training will not only benefit her but also have a lasting impact on her community. By cascading the training to other cooperative members, Maria envisions a future where the cooperative thrives, and its members enjoy improved livelihoods. When asked about her hopes and dreams, she said, “My only hope is that my children will all succeed, have a good life, and become independent”.

Maria has become a beacon of hope and empowerment in Viqueque. Her story is a testament of the potential for positive change when individuals are given the opportunity to learn and grow.

By cascading the training to other cooperative members, Maria envisions a future where the cooperative thrives, and its members enjoy improved livelihoods.