TLS Past Pupils Promotes “Don Bosco Hadomi Ambiente” in a Clean-up Drive

By Fr. Jolino Vieira, SDB

Dili, Timor-Leste, 21 January 2023

The Don Bosco Past Pupil in Timor-Leste organized general cleaning that was held in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. The cleaning activities were carried out on the seaside of Arbiru Hotel to the front side of Motael Parish Church and the seaside of Bidau Santa Ana to Motael.

This general cleaning was realized as a contribution to lessening the escalating global warming that day after day threatens our common home. At the same time as a re-awakening activity to the people in contributing towards a healthy environment.

The Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis, the Laudato Si, inspires this environmental activity. This encyclical is a response to the climatical emergency that is caused by human negligence to the environment where they lived-in. The encyclical is using Catholic Social Teaching’s way of looking at things, the so-called “See-Judge-Act.” There are many proposals presented in this encyclical in order to take care of our common home and make it a beautiful place for today’s and tomorrow’s generation. Pope Francis encouraged every human being for a changing of lifestyle that starts with the conversion of conscience.

The activities that are contributing to a healthy environment such as:

• Reduce the usage of your electrical appliances.

• Drive your car less.

• Maintain a healthy ecosystem.

• Reduce usage of chemicals and pesticides.

• Recycle the waste products.

• Grow your food locally, etc.

The cleaning activity was just one of those and so simple but the impact is global. The Don Bosco Green Alliance and other environmental movements around the world are encouraging us to use the 3Rs (Recycle-Reuse-Reduce) principle for a healthy life in society. Waste management (waste segregation) and green campus (in schools and universities) are encouraged as our contribution to lessening global warming and its bad consequences.

Among those who are present in this green alliance movement: Fr. Anacleto Pires, SDB (the Provincial of the Salesians in the TLS Vice-Province), the Don Bosco Past Pupils resident in Dili, the students of Sts. Peter and Michael School together with their teachers and some people of goodwill.

This activity was realized smoothly due to the full support of the national and local authority in Dili, the National Police of Timor-Leste.

We thanked the Don Bosco Past Pupils for this beautiful activity as a concrete manner to show their love, care for our common home as a beautiful preparation for the feast of our Father, and founder St. John Bosco to be held on January 31.

The activity was done under the mantra “Don Bosco hadomi ambiente” which means “Don Bosco Loves the environment.”