Belola, East Timor
Belola is a small village outside Balibo. The village's school was destroyed by Indonesian militia in 1999. The closest school for Belola's children was 5km away and had no water source, which meant that children from Balbo had to not only manage the one hour walk each way, but also carry a 5 litre container of water with them. This journey was too hard and dangerous for many of the children, particularly the young ones which meant that many of children in Belola and nearby hamlets simply did not go to school.
In 2018 The Balibo House Trust, Rotary and Spend it Well collaborated to build a school for Prep to Year 2 children in Belola village. The school cost US$55,000 and has 3 classrooms, a teachers' room, 5 toilets and a water tank. There are now 150 children from Balibo and nearby hamlets who have a school to go to.
| Before photos |
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| The blessing of the school |
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| Signing the Contract with Julio the builder |
| After photos |
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| Belola School – with 3 classrooms and a teachers' room |
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| Belola School's toilets |
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| Some of Belola's children |
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