Education enables children and young people to improve their future and the future of their nation. East Timorese children face many difficulties in obtaining such an education. As of Tuesday last week, one more East Timorese school has opened the doors to a newly renovated school building and new opportunities for its students.
St Teresinha Catholic Junior High School – Ossu
In Ossu, Timor-Leste, the teachers of St Teresinha Catholic Junior High School have struggled for many years to educate their students in damaged and largely unusable school buildings. The buildings were in such a state of disrepair that the wet season rendered many classrooms uninhabitable and students were regularly sent home.
The newly renovated building provides six new classrooms, a staff room, principal’s office, a small library, administration space and new toilets for the 20 staff and 450 students. This new building means that the students of the school can return to class in a safe environment.
With assistance from the Timor-Leste Government the school will also be furnished with new desks and chairs for the students.
Partnerships for change
The completion of this renovation is the result of a long-standing partnership between the Burleigh Heads Catholic Parish and the Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools (GVFS) in Australia and the Catholic Parish of Ossu in Timor-Leste.
In 2014, the Burleigh Heads Catholic Parish approached Australian Marist Solidarity to raise further funds for the renovation of St Teresinha Catholic Junior High School. Assessment of the building quickly revealed the extent of the work needed to bring the building back to working order.
To make this project possible the Rotary established company, East Timor Roofing, donated the roofing materials and in mid 2016 AMS successfully gained the support of German funders Kindermissionswerk and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The project was valued at US$186,000 and these three partners have provided three quarters of the funding.
Mr Martin Rerebain, owner of REIN Rerebain Unipessoal, the construction company contracted to carry out the renovation, said “I see the bright future of Timor-Leste and am proud to be a part of this project”. Mr Rerebain has been very generous with his time and has produced a building of the highest quality.
A vote of thanks
Thank you to each of these partners, the Burleigh Heads Catholic Parish and GVFS for the generous contributions that have improved access to education for the young people of Ossu.
During a visit by Michael Coleman, AMS Timor-Leste Project Coordinator, and at the official opening Fr Evaristo, current parish priest and outgoing Principal, also expressed his sincere thanks to all those who have supported the renovation of the school building. Fr Evaristo remarked, “the community is very grateful for the support of Australian donors and the German funders.”
AMS extends its thanks to the Diocese of Baucau and Madre Herminia Matos Sarmento, Director of the Baucau Catholic Education Office, Fundacão Sao Jose, and Br Tony Clark AMS in-country project coordinator, for managing the project to successful completion. This project is part of a long-term collaborative effort to strengthen the educational opportunities for young East Timorese in the Baucau Diocese.
To support the our next East Timorese school infrastructure improvement projects in partnership with the Diocese of Baucau and Fundacão Sao Jose click here.