Timor-Leste may be one of our closest neighbours but for many of its children, schooling – something that is taken for granted by most Australian children – remains a distant dream. Sadly, nearly 42% of Timor-Leste’s population lives below the poverty line, and children miss out on vital opportunities for learning.[i]

Saint Mary MacKillop was a pioneer of schooling for the most marginalised children – just like Juliana. Juliana lives only one hour from Australia, and yet her world couldn’t be more different from ours. She’s the youngest of five siblings living in a remote farming community in Timor-Leste. Her family regularly goes without food so there’s money for her to go to school instead.

Children like Juliana know only too well that school is a way to break the cycle of poverty and create a brighter future for their families. But while Timor-Leste is making astonishing progress at rebuilding itself to become a strong and stable nation – after gaining its independence 25 years ago – there are still many challenges, especially when it comes to providing quality education for its young people.

Juliana and her friends feel so happy to have been part of our Inclusive Early Education program. Our mobile learning centre, which is part of the program, is a colourful bus that travels around rural communities, filled with toys, musical instruments and arts and crafts supplies. There are also books in the local language, Tetun, and a team of qualified educators.

The mobile learning centre isn’t only about the contents of the bus. In the background, our team works to bring about sustainable change. We train local teachers in proven child-friendly teaching methods, teaching them how to make their schools inclusive, including to those with disabilities.

Juliana is now in 4th grade and has noticed the positive difference in her learning.

Our team also works with families and communities, so they feel confident to support children’s learning outside of the mobile learning bus and school. We ensure that all creative learning opportunities are culturally appropriate, delivered in Tetun, and that they promote inclusion and harmony. For children like Juliana, the program means they can confidently imagine a future where they will thrive.

The mobile learning centre is what Mary MacKillop’s legacy looks like in today’s world. Mary knew the power of education to lift communities out of poverty. And while education is a basic human right, for too many children in Timor-Leste it remains a rare privilege.

This Christmas, you can be part of the work of Mary and the Sisters of Saint Joseph, transforming lives through education. By donating today, you can give a child in Timor-Leste the powerful gift of education, so they too can dare to dream like Juliana.

Thank you for any support you can give: www.marymackilloptoday.org.au/this-christmas-give-the-gift-of-education

Siobhan Reynolds
Director of Marketing and Communications, Mary MacKillop Today

[i] UNICEF Quality Education (Timor-Leste).