“My goal is to become a leader of this nation,” says 13-year-old Benditu from Aileu, Timor-Leste. As an avid student in Year 6 at primary school, Benditu is lucky. His parents understand the importance of education – not only for Benditu’s future, but for the future of Timor-Leste.
“My dad and mum want me to go to school. If I do not go to school then they are angry with me,” says Benditu. “They also buy shoes, school books and clothes that I need for school.”
Raising awareness of the importance of education, particularly among parents, is a major challenge in Timor-Leste. Without personal experiences of the transformative power of education – in Aileu district, over 50 per cent of people have no formal education – many parents do not understand the opportunities that going to school can bring to their children. Instead of going to school, many children work alongside their parents to farm, fetch water and collect wood. This is why improving education in Timor-Leste must start with engaging parents to support their children’s education.
As a member of the Timor-Leste Coalition for Education, ChildFund recently participated in Global Action Week. Awareness-raising events were held in Aileu and Ermera districts and attended by hundreds of students, teachers, parents and representatives from government, NGOs, the US embassy and UNICEF. Speeches, marches and music were followed with question and answer sessions between local communities and education specialists.
The focus of this year’s Global Action Week was early childhood care and development (ECCD). ChildFund Timor-Leste is currently supporting 80 ECCD centres, some of which are home-based, across the country. A key focus of the ECCD program is to build the capacity of Parents and Teachers Associations so they can advocate and take pride in their community ECCD centres. Alongside engaged parents and teachers, centres supported by ChildFund are currently preparing over 3,000 Timorese children for a successful future at school.
Events like Global Action Week are vital in influencing community perceptions of the importance of education. As 12-year-old student Derina said: “We are all here at this event so that parents can influence us so that we all go to school. Parents should send their children to school because their children will be the future of this country.”
A well-stocked school is essential to a quality learning experience. Children need safe learning spaces, engaging lessons, and the supplies to carry out the activities required by their curriculum.
In times of crisis, schools are often subject to looting, vandalism and other forms of destruction. When the violence is over, a part of our relief efforts is to help schools recover, so that education can resume in affected areas as soon as possible.
Below we discuss how donated school supplies helped alleviate destruction in Timorese schools, caused by the 2006 Independence Crisis in Dili.
How the Timor-Leste Independence Crisis affected schools
During the 2006 Independence Crisis, many important educational resources such as school buildings, books, chairs, tables and blackboards were destroyed.
This meant that many schools were without the infrastructure required to remain open, while others operated in unsafe structures or without the supplies needed for quality lessons.
When civil crisis strikes, restoring education is critical to helping children recover from the trauma of the disturbance in their community. Attending school reintroduces children to a regular routine, provides play and learning experiences, and helps teachers identify any additional assistance requirements for full recovery after the crisis.
What essential school supplies were needed?
Once order was restored in Dili, schools were left without many essential supplies and safe learning environments. To reopen or operate at full efficiency, schools urgently required these supplies:
- Desks
- Pens and pencils
- Notebooks
- Library books
- Blackboards
Some schools also required repairs to classrooms and infrastructure to restore child-friendliness.
How did ChildFund restore access to school supplies?
When crisis strikes, ChildFund relies on the generosity of the Australian public and our supporters. After the 2006 Independence Crisis our focus was on providing schools and children with access to decent learning materials, replacing what was lost during the violence.
Thanks to the gifts of school equipment donated by the Australian public, ChildFund in Timor Leste was able to provide Timorese schools with:
- 215 boxes of note books
- 40 boxes of pencils
- 19 black boards
- 17 tables and chairs
This support was provided to 18 schools in Dili, the nation’s capital, and the centre of the crisis.
Donate school supplies to children in need
Our emergency response in East Timor shows how we can work together to help children receive a safe and quality education. There are millions more children, worldwide, who live without the education that they need and deserve.
Child labour, poverty, gender inequality, isolation and teacher inexperience are just some of the issues affecting children’s education. We’re working to change that for every child, but we need your help.
You can help children learn and grow by donating schools supplies from our range of Gifts for Good. There’s a few donations you can gift to children around the world, which include:
- School Kits: Essential supplies like pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers and exercise books for classroom activities.
- School Bags: Having a school bag gives children confidence and helps them carry food, school supplies and homework to and from the classroom.
- Desks: Strong and sturdy desks give children a place to sit, work and learn.
- Library Books: Donating library books will keep children engaged with the world around them and help teach younger children to read.
Why donate school supplies? Because every child deserves an education, and every child needs a childhood.
