Railui, East Timor

Railuli is incredibly remote – an hour on terrible roads out of Balibo and only 5km from the Indonesian border. When the Indonesians left in 1999 they stripped the school of anything they could use and burnt the rest to the ground. The villagers built a dirt floored hut for their children which was unusable during the wet season. There were 71 children using this hut in two shifts a day and another 100 children who were unable to attend school because there was no space. Everyone who visited the school was blown away by the organisation, quality of teaching and commitment to give the children an education. The work on the blackboard, posters on the walls and pristine uniforms (in a place with no running water) was very unusual in schools this remote.

In 2019 Spend it Well and Rotary built a 3 classroom, 3 toilet school at Railuli and brought water to the school 1.5km from the nearest spring at a cost US$68,000. Railuli school had been forgotten by the world for too long – we were so happy to be able to help the villagers to do what they clearly feel is so important – educating their children. We celebrated the opening of the school with them in a wonderful day full of singing, dancing, feasting – and skipping.