My Birthday Appeal - Education in East Timor!

I'm inviting you to become part of my Railaco family

If you become part of my Railaco family, you’ll fall in love with the people as much as I have.

Join me in giving a step-up in life to beautiful kids from families with virtually nothing.  It’s really easy. Please donate. Thank you.

 TWO OPTIONS for a recurring monthly gift to help the kids :

1.     Tuition fees for one aspiring student - $12.50 a month, $37.50 for three months, or $150 for a year. OR

2.     Specially trained teachers ‘make the difference’ at the Railaco Secondary School. 

A recurring monthly donation of $20 covers the cost of this. 

Breaking the cycle of Poverty through Education

Education and Timorese Society

There are compelling reasons to provide opportunities for children from resource-poor areas to access schooling. 

 Firstly, in Timor-Leste, it is never “just” village life. Villages are the core social structures of the nation, where the lulik (traditional spirituality) is centred, and cultural decisions are made. 

As the national focus for social services and community-strengthening is currently devolved to municipalities (districts), it is vital that villages are proactive in accessing services and being heard at a regional level. 

Having people who are educated empowers small communities to articulate local issues and advocate for their own needs. 

Educating even one person provides a family and a community with resources – literacy, numeracy, reasoning, knowledge – that enriches and empowers members to make decisions and participate in the larger public life. 

Putting resources toward the education of an individual might just be what is needed to open possibilities, not yet imagined: the possibility of further technical or academic study, the possibility of making a contribution to a nation whose human resources need substantial strengthening with greater knowledge and skills.

Donating to one life may have greater ramifications that donors cannot even predict!

Who is behind all this?

The photo shows Fr Hyoe Murayama SJ, a Japanese Jesuit priest, who is the Director of NOSSEF, the Railaco parish Secondary School.

From a financial point of view, this modest but proven educational institution does not take a lot of funds. It operates on such a low budget compared to Australia. 
 

The Jesuits in Railaco are doing so much for people who have relatively nothing, and any extra funds that we send up there go such a long way. I recognise that there are many new appeals both here at home and around the world. But Railaco is a proven program with demonstrable outcomes. Importantly, ninety percent of the donations go direct to the cause.