2013 Escola Pre-Secondaria Foho Ailico, Ainaro

Project 1 - Completed 2013

Escola Pre-secondaria Foho Ailico

In 2010, through our contact with Naomi Lacey we met the incomparable Jino Pereria. Jino's parents, both teachers, and family come from the village of Beikala, in the Ainaro province. They teach the secondary students in the district and actually structure their classes around the primary school classes as they don’t have classrooms of their own. In 2010 the Timor government was only supporting primary schools. Secondary schools were supported by volunteer teachers and kids were taught in whatever space was available.

The Grub Club aims to fund and support education programs, and hence became involved in re-building and resourcing this school. Initially this involved providing some resources for the basics pens, pencils, books whilst we developed the building plan.

This was the first independent Grub Club project undertaken in Timor Leste - the building of a 4-room schoolhouse Foho Alico, in the Boramba area on Ainaro province.

While we made contributions to the projects, this building was 100% funded by donations to the Grub Club.

Built by the people of Boramba and Beikala, it was built along local building traditions with a stone and cement base and floor, cement block to window height, wood and bamboo to ceiling and roofed in tin sheet.

The project was started in 2012 and completed by 2013. Its purpose was to allow both primary students and high school students (years 7,8 and 9) to be housed comfortably in the school complex. Other buildings onsite were in poor condition due to the rapid deterioration or damage because of age.

The budget was $19,000 AUD and it took 14 months to complete.

Completion was possible due to the many people who helped.

Donees to the Grub Club:
- Jino Pereira who financially and logistically managed the project,
- Luciano Neves who was foreman on sight and organised workers and equipment.