PROJECT ‘Lequeracabu’u East Timor’
25 January 2012
The gardens are growing
On my visits to the schools I always wish that we could get some fresh vegetables to the kids – for much of the year their diet consists only of rice and casava (a root vegetable). At the end of last year, $500 was given to each of Maucale, Macalaco, Festau and Ostico schools to start a community garden, from which to feed the school children. The idea is that if they are successful we’ll provide the funds to expand the gardens. Maucale and Ostico’s gardens are already planted and looking great – hoping the other schools to start shortly.
project: Lequeracabu'u East Timor, Macalaco East Timor, Maucale East Timor, OSTICO EAST TIMOR
20 October 2011
Training for teachers of our schools
Last week 8 teachers from the 4 schools Spend it Well has re-built, attended a 2 day teacher training session run by the Alola Foundation. Teachers in rural schools often have limited training, so these sessions are invaluable. We also gave the teachers USB sticks at the end of the session – while the schools don’t have computers these are highly prized as they can take them to the towns and have material for the schools put on them and printed off. The teacher who has most affected me with his passion and determination to find a way forward for Timorese children through education is the man pictured below with my husband Stephen. He has been teaching at Maucale school for 26 years.
project: Lequeracabu'u East Timor, Macalaco East Timor, Maucale East Timor, OSTICO EAST TIMOR
23 July 2011
Mongol Rally – They are off!
Julian and Viv head out of Paris today on day 1 of their Mongol Rally odyssey. Both they and the beautifully branded “Spend it Well” car are looking great – hope they look as good after 10,000 miles! They have raised $9,557 for Maucale School so far and are hoping for more contributions from supporters as they embark on their long journey east.
 
project: Lequeracabu'u East Timor, Macalaco East Timor, Maucale East Timor, OSTICO EAST TIMOR
21 July 2011
10,000 mile drive for Maucale School
Spend it Well’s intrepid fundraisers, Julian and Viv are 2 days away from starting the Mongol Rally. The Rally is a 10,000 mile journey from Paris to Mongolia – the catch (if one is needed on such a journey) is that the car’s engine may not be bigger than 1,200cc. Which means they are driving a car most of us wouldn’t drive to the shops stuffed with tents, sleeping bags and all the spare parts they can fit. Julian and Viv plan to raise the money Spend it Well needs to complete the work on Maucale school which is currently under construction. Their trip will take about a month and you can follow their progress on https://www.spenditwell.com/rally/ as they travel across 3 deserts, 5 mountain ranges and a large part of the earth’s surface. Have a look at the interactive map to get a feel for how ridiculously far they are going!
 
project: Lequeracabu'u East Timor, Macalaco East Timor, Maucale East Timor, OSTICO EAST TIMOR
15 June 2011
Road trip to Baucau with Kirsty Sword Gusmao and Max Stahl
Travelling around East Timor with Kirsty Sword Gusmao and Max Stahl makes you feel like you’re hanging out with royalty. Kirsty is instantly recognised by everyone, but her attention is rivalled when people realise the man in the jeans and cap is Max Stahl, the journalist who filmed the Santa Cruz graveyard massacre, hid the tape in a hole next to a gravestone and after being interrogated by the Indonesians, went back in the dead of night to retrieve it and with the film maker Peter Gordon and Kirsty, distributed it around the world.
Max and Peter accompanied Kirsty and her and Xanana’s 3 boys to Maucale school where Spend it Well is constructing a new school building. They filmed a ceremony at the school and in various settings around Baucau, retracing the steps they all trod in the 1990s when they were clandestinely working to obtain independence for East Timor.
There was a wonderful ceremony at the school and it was fabulous to see the new building coming along so well.
       
project: Lequeracabu'u East Timor, Macalaco East Timor, Maucale East Timor, OSTICO EAST TIMOR
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