Maucale, East Timor
Maucale is a small village about 3 ½ hours drive from the East Timor capital, Dili. The school's 258 primary and secondary school children were crammed into two buildings: a 3 classroom building that cannot be used in the wet season and threatened to collapse at any time and another building with 3 tiny classrooms. Many children could not be taught at all during the wet season, even with teachers running two shifts each day. One of Maucale's teachers says very simply: 'Education is the only chance for Maucale's children. It is the absolute priority for this village.'
During 2011 a semi-permanent school building with 3 classrooms and a teacher's room was built at a cost of $US35,000. Significant donations from a number of families and individuals funded half of the construction cost and the remainder was raised by two intrepid adventurers Julian and Vivien who drove from France to Mongolia in a tiny car as part of the Mongol Rally. They travelled 10,000 miles, crossed 3 deserts, 5 mountain ranges and innumerable borders in order to raise $17,500 for Maucale school.
In October, Spend it Well's representatives (including a number of donors) attended the offical opening of Maucale school by Kirsty Sword Gusmao. It was a wonderful occasion with dances and singing by the villages, old and young, followed by a feast of buffalo cooked by the local women. Spend it Well is continuing to work with the village to set up programs such as scholarships and agriculture programs to grow food for the children.
| Before photos |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Existing school building |
|
Inside school classroom |
|
Girls in classroom |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Side of school building |
|
A school teacher |
|
Children outside school |
| |
|
|
|
|
| After photos |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| New school building |
|
The community celebrates school opening |
|
School opening celebrations |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| New school building |
|
Children at school door |
|
Kirsty Sword Gusmao officially opens school |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Opening feast and celebrations |
|
Students in uniform |
|
Children celebrating at the Opening |
|
7
