Eye opening trip for local students

A group of Tenison Woods College Year 12 and 12 students have just returned from a 10 day, eye opening adventure in the villages of Timor-Leste – the first time the school has been able to hold the long running immersion since 2019.

A year of fundraising culminated in the trip, earlier this month, as students and staff gain a new perspective on life and experience firsthand the who and why of their support for the communities they visit.

Students and staff were thrilled to be able to touch base again in person with their sister school San Francisco Xavier College in Hatolia. Long standing immersion organiser Bernadette Fisher was beyond proud of the students for their efforts.

“This incredible group demonstrated their dedication through fundraising efforts in the leadup to the immersion, showing great compassion and empathy during their travel experience to Timor-Leste,” Mrs Fisher said.

“These young leaders were able to see firsthand the differences in education, living conditions, poverty, amongst other issues, this has given students more reason to continue the support upon their return.

“The Timor immersion presents us with opportunities to become global citizens and look outside our own community to help those that are most vulnerable. This year we were presented with living conditions for a group of 40 boarders at our sister school that shocked and distressed us all. We have made it our mission to raise the $8000 needed to complete new living quarters for these young women.”

And that is just one of the many stories staff and students are able to share upon their return having visited the Bakhita Centre at Palaca where they visited the local catholic school, before taking a short trip across the Indonesian border into West Timor.

There was also the visit to Hatolia where they visited their sister school, and entertained a large crowd at a cultural night with a stirring rendition on 10,000 Reasons and an energetic dance, Waka waka, impressing the crowd so much that they were called on for an encore.

The group also visited the small village of Malura and despite having to drive through a river to get there, students were amazed to see the sight of a finished school that past fundraising efforts have achieved.

On their way back to Dili, the group visited Klibur Domin for a tour of the facilities which help students with disabilities, as well as holding a TB clinic and mental health facilities. In Dili, students and staff were entertained by students at the orphanage and saw the sights including the Resistance Museum, the World War II Memorial at Dare, climbing to Cristo Rae and enjoying a swim at the beach.

A highlight of the trip was meeting the President of TimorLeste at the Presidential Palace. Students were able to ask questions about the President’s role and values, and he spoke to the group about his vision for a better Timor, which included improving the health of women and children and pollution reduction. He also spoke about being awarded a Nobel Prize for his contribution to find peace and independence in his country. After the meeting students took the opportunity to help serve 200 students as part of a nutrition program fully funded by the President from his personal income.

“The students impressed me with their thoughtfulness and generosity, donating their own money to buy rice for students who do not have enough food to eat every day,” Mrs Fisher said.

The meeting with the President, as well as a catch up with the Secretary for Education have also laid the foundation for ongoing projects in respect to the TimorLeste relationship. “We have great plans for the future,” Mrs Fisher said. “We intend to trial a program in which we connect with our sister school for one hour per week in hopes of improving their English.

“This will further develop and enrich our relationship with the school and its students. An extension of this will be to look into the possibility of an exchange program where both teachers and students can visit our school for a period to continue to improve their English skills.”

School Captains Gael Chizungu and Aden Clarke were honoured to have been able to attend this year’s immersion.

“The highlight for me was experiencing the culture and bonding with the children, all who have grown up much differently than myself. It was great for me to be able to fully immerse myself in this trip,” Gael said.

“I struggled a lot with knowing about the many opportunities I have that these children will never experience, being from a third world country.

“It is comforting that they are able to find happiness in the life they have and is a reminder to us all that material things don’t equate to happiness.

“Our time at the School in Hatolia was eye opening. The poor condition of the dorms has motivated me to continue fundraising, in hopes of making their living conditions better in the future.”

If you would like to assist with donations to the work Tenison Woods College undertakes inTimorLeste, please contact Bernadette Fisher at Tenison Woods College.

IMMERSION STUDENTS: Grace Kentish works alongside one of the local children & Lana Shepherd gifts a stationery pack to a Timorese student

“…the Timor immersion presents us with opportunities to become global citizens and look outside our own community to help those that are most vulnerable…” Bernadette Fisher