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.  The Foundation works with the residents of a remote village called Lisadila who 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 Lisadila.

Timor Lorosa'e or East Timor is the eastern half of the Island of Timor in Eastern Indonesia.  It is approximately the same size as Connecticut and 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.  Indigenous people have lived on the island for thousands of years.  The population of East Timor is estimated at 1.1 million.  East Timor is among the poorest nations in Asia.  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 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 of Lisadila selected a 20-acre piece of flat land for the school.  A three classroom school was dedicated in 2007 and several units of faculty housing have also been built.  Seventy-five students are now being taught academic and vocational subjects by six newly hired teachers.  The school is used for children during the day and offers “short-courses” for adults in the evenings.  Future projects include a new water well for the school and construction of a dormitory for students who live beyond a reasonable walking distance from the village.  Villagers also hope to use the dormitory to house village orphans whom they hope to also send to the school.