As the school year begins in Timor-Leste, a group of young children in a remote village are excitedly arriving at a new preschool.
Their parents gather around, as the children wash their hands with soapy water before classroom activities begin. This routine has been in place since the school opened in mid- January to keep the coronavirus at bay.
The school, a cheerful green, blue and orange building, was established by the community with the help of ChildFund, which provided training and materials. Inside, collections of books suitable for children between the ages of three and five sit on a shelf, alongside other learning materials and educational toys.
For five-year-old Nanju (pictured above), starting school has been a long-time coming. He is a curious and enthusiastic child, says his father Celestiano, and has been eagerly learning the alphabet at home while schools were closed during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“Nanju is very active,” Celestiano says. “At home he was learning his ABCs and colouring-in.
“He is so happy now that the school is finally open.”
Before the preschool was built, children in the village walked 3km to the nearest preschool, which was in the city. The long walk on a steep and rocky road discouraged many families from enrolling their children in preschool.
When Win May was a child, she dreamt of becoming a writer. The kind who inspires and sparks people’s imaginations and takes them to worlds they would have never gone on their own.
Today, Win May is still passionate about writing, but you won’t find her life’s work scrawled between sheets of paper. Her impact extends beyond the pages of a book and is making a difference to the lives of children and their communities.
As the Country Director of ChildFund Myanmar – a representative office of ChildFund Australia – she leads a team of dedicated staff to implement projects to help disadvantaged children and young people in Myanmar.
Win May says working with children and youth is critical for sustainable development. “One of my favourite quotes is from Abraham Lincoln – ‘teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults’,” she says.
A chance to combine her passions
Win May has always had a keen interest in tackling the injustices of the world and helping people in need. As a child she wrote poems and short stories about war, the environment and disadvantaged children and families.
If she was not swept up in writing, she was curled up with a book, often losing herself in novels about adventure and mystery. “I loved books and was – and still am – a bookworm,” Win May says. “And with writing, there was just always this desire to be creative.”
