TEWANTIN State School students hope to brighten the lives of their East Timorese counterparts with hundreds of educational care packages sent to a school this week.
The parcels, in the form of decorated shoeboxes are now on their way to Sao Miguel (St Michael) school, about 30 minutes west of Dili, and included exercise books, rulers, erasers, pens and pencils as well as personal items from each student.
The community school has 150 kindergarten and 250 primary school students, and the area also caters for several other schools that are in need of basic educational supplies, but Sao Miguel receives no help from the Ministry of Education in Timor.
This is the ninth year Tewantin State School has supported the shoebox project in partnership with the Tewantin and Cooroy Community Bank branches of Bendigo Bank and Cooroy and Noosa Rotary Clubs.
The 600 shoeboxes from Tewantin will join 1800 others from Cooroy, Coolum and Pacific Paradise State Schools to create a shipment that will change the lives of 2400 East Timorese kids.
Tewantin State School principal Corrie Connors said the school was delighted to be involved with the program that started in 2008.
“It’s been great for all students to get involved and give something back,” she said.
“Our student leaders have been actively involved with the project this year and all our students have had a ball putting the care parcels together.
“It’s going to be great to see the results of their hard work with the great support of their families. Bendigo Bank and Rotary will then assist in getting these parcels into the hands of the kids who need them most.”
Every shoebox is personally decorated and contains items to further the education of a child less fortunate than themselves. Each student also enclosed something small of theirs such as a soft toy or a tennis ball.
“It added something simple but personal to each box. It was quite the moment when the kids held up their boxes on assembly,” Corrie added.
Tewantin Community Bank manager Wayne Hoens said the project continued to build on something special.
“Our Bendigo Bank branches are all about giving back to communities and in this case the recipients will be international ones,” she said.
“Last year when the shoeboxes arrived more than 3000 kids turned up to receive one, so the need is there. We’re proud to share in a project that gets educational material to where it’s needed most.”
Mr Hoens said the project was about community partnership.
“We’re delighted to collaborate with the Rotary Clubs of Cooroy and Noosa on this project. Noosa Van Lines get the boxes to Melbourne and then Rotary get the shoeboxes to the school once they land in Timor Leste. Without each of us doing our part it wouldn’t work,” he said.
Everyone involved in the project will then look forward to the video and photos of the boxes being opened in a few months. Interest continues to be expressed in bringing some of the Sao Miguel students to state schools on the coast in coming years to advance their learning even further.
