East Timor Education Foundation

The East Timor Education Foundation seeks to “make a world of difference” in the lives of the children of East Timor by building and equipping free schools, open to all children regardless of their religious or ethnic background. This foundation provides the young people of one of the poorest nations on earth with the opportunity for a better future. Reverend Jim Moos, pastor of the United Church of Christ and member of the Common Global Ministries Board, co-founded the East Timor Education Foundation after he and his wife visited the country for the first time in 2002. The residents of a remote village called Lisadilla requested their help in establishing a school for their children. The community previously had asked the government for help, but received no response. The Foundation is non-denominational and works in cooperation with Global Ministries and partner church, the Protestant Church of East Timor, in order to provide support for schools such as that requested in Lisadilla.
Timor Lorosa’e or East Timor is the eastern half of the Island of Timor in Eastern Indonesia. It lies north of Australia across the Timor Sea. East Timor gained its independence in 2002 after nearly 30 years of occupation by Indonesia (1972-1999) and four centuries of occupation by the Portuguese.

East Timor won its independence from Indonesia in an election in May of 1999. After interim oversight by the U.N., East Timor became a new nation in May of 2002. The years of agitation for independence and preparing for independence were fraught with conflict between local groups and the Indonesian military. There was a great loss of life during the Indonesian occupation. Homes and churches have been destroyed. East Timor is now burdened by poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition.

The population of East Timor is predominately Christian, of which 90 percent are Roman Catholic. Indigenous people have lived on the island for thousands of years. The population of East Timor is estimated at 911,000. Unemployment in some areas is as high as 80 percent. The economic disparities between those who are well off and the majority who live in abject poverty feed a restlessness that makes nation-building all the more difficult. The country also is vulnerable to the alternating disasters of monsoons and droughts.

East Timorese value education for their children; however, few schools exist and those that do not charge tuition. The vast poverty of East Timor makes it impossible for most families to pay for school tuition. The goal of the East Timor Education Foundation, partnered with Global Ministries, is to provide tuition-free schools for East Timor children based on the “village enhancement” model. In this model, both academic and vocational skills are included in the curriculum. Subjects could, therefore, include classes in agriculture, nutrition, and construction.

The villagers have selected a 20-acre piece of flat land for the proposed school that has a well and has been cleared of trees. Work is underway to acquire the title to this land. Villagers also hope to build a dormitory on the property to house village orphans whom they hope to also send to the school. The school would ideally be used for the children during the day and then offer “short-courses” for adults in the evenings. Construction is planned to begin in late 2005 with the school opening to students in September 2006.