Zulmira Da Cruz Soares Pinto

Maestro & CEO of Faithsasha Academy – Zulmira da C. S. Pinto

Zulmira da C. S. Pinto is an experienced Early Childhood Education professional, educator, lecturer, trainer, consultant, and education-sector practitioner with extensive experience contributing to the development and improvement of early childhood education in Timor-Leste. Her professional career demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the quality of education for young children and strengthening the capacity of teachers, educators, and education professionals. She has worked across academic institutions, government, non-governmental organizations, and education development programs, giving her a broad understanding of early childhood education from classroom practice, teacher development, curriculum development, policy, training, monitoring, and program management perspectives.

Zulmira currently serves as a Lecturer at Universidade Nasionál Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL), where she contributes to the preparation and development of future education professionals. Her teaching areas include Educational Policies, Child Pedagogy, Pedagogical Practice, and Children's Literature, as well as subjects related to early childhood learning and development. Through her academic role, she supports future educators in developing the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and professional attitudes required to work effectively with children. Her experience as a lecturer also enables her to connect academic knowledge with practical classroom experiences and the realities of the education sector in Timor-Leste.

She previously served as a National Pre-school Technical Advisor with the Ministry of Education of Timor-Leste, where she contributed to the development and strengthening of national early childhood education programs. Her responsibilities included developing training manuals and activity books for preschool teachers, delivering professional training to preschool teachers and inspectors, and supporting monitoring and evaluation activities. She has also contributed to preschool curriculum reform through participation in early childhood education stakeholder working groups. Her experience at the national level provides her with valuable knowledge of education policy, curriculum development, teacher professional development, and the broader challenges and opportunities facing early childhood education in Timor-Leste.

As a professional trainer and consultant, Zulmira has extensive experience designing and facilitating training programs for preschool teachers, education professionals, and partner organizations. Her areas of training include classroom management, play-based learning, early literacy, language development, child development, mathematics for kindergarten, positive behavior reinforcement, collaborative and cooperative learning, mentoring, child protection, human rights, and participatory teaching strategies. She has facilitated training and mentoring programs for preschool teachers in several municipalities, including Lospalos, Liquiçá, Bobonaro, and Covalima. Her training approach emphasizes practical activities, participation, reflection, mentoring, and the application of educational concepts within real preschool environments.

Zulmira also brings significant experience in child protection, human rights, community development, conflict resolution, and family welfare systems. Through her work with Ba Futuru and other development initiatives, she has facilitated child protection and conflict resolution training, supported community response teams, contributed to child and family welfare system development, and worked with stakeholders involved in child protection. She has also been involved in the development of child protection service directories, stakeholder consultations, policy development processes, documentation, translation, and coordination among organizations working in the child protection sector. This multidisciplinary experience allows her to approach early childhood education not only from an educational perspective but also from the perspectives of children's rights, protection, family welfare, community participation, and social development.

Her academic qualifications further strengthen her professional profile. Zulmira holds a Master of Education specializing in Early Years Education from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Education from UNTL. She has also participated in an exchange study program in South Korea, where she studied areas including macroeconomics, cross-cultural understanding, human geography, and Korean language. Her commitment to continuous professional development is reflected in her participation in various training programs related to teaching large classes, collaborative and cooperative classrooms, early childhood education and mentoring, positive behavior reinforcement, participatory training strategies, child protection, and human rights.

As a Maestro and CEO at Faithsasha Academy, Zulmira's mission is to strengthen the capacity of teachers, parents, education professionals, school leaders, and individuals working with young children by providing practical, evidence-informed, and locally relevant learning opportunities. Her teaching philosophy recognizes that early childhood is a critical stage of human development and that quality education depends not only on curriculum and teaching materials but also on capable, caring, well-trained, and reflective educators. Through her combination of academic expertise, government education experience, teacher training, curriculum development, mentoring, child protection, and community engagement, she aims to help educators develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to create safe, inclusive, stimulating, and child-centered learning environments. At Faithsasha Academy, she contributes to the development of a stronger professional education community in Timor-Leste by empowering educators and professionals to improve the quality of learning and development opportunities available to children.