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Young Women Young Nation

Posted by: Daniel Fava on February 29, 2012 at 12:09PM EST

Interested to see some good tangible results in the area of girls' education; visit CARE in Timor Leste and see the success of the project…

Talking to the public as part of an event.

As part of the extra-curricular activities organized by the project, girls have sports competition and they the volley ball teams in all the pilot schools.

Girls are singing a song with actions during a large, regional event. Children from other districts also participate.

Education is not a priority for families in Timor Leste, where majority of them are struggling with the issue of food insecurity and hunger. Despite the fact that primary education is free however, the cost of school books and uniforms is quite high for families who survive on subsistence income from farming.

Therefore, families struggle to afford to send all of their children to school, and when the time comes to make choices between the education of boys and girls; parents often prioritize boy's education over the girls'. Girls are expected to help their mothers in household chores, take care of younger siblings and are also expected to take on other household responsibilities by contributing to the family income.

This is where the CARE's role starts…

CARE's Young Women Young Nation project is working with parents in Timor Leste to educate them about the importance of sending their girls to school. CARE recognizes girls' education as a cornerstone of development and understand that when girls get an education there are huge benefits for their future family, invest more in their children's schooling, thus improving both families' and societies' development prospects.

The program works with parents, to explain the importance of sending their girls to school. CARE is working with parents to help them see education as the key to ending the cycle of poverty, and after 2 years of hard work, now is the time to see the results… the parents, the teachers and the communities are noticing the difference.

Once in school, the girls are encouraged through the introduction of activities like traditional dancing, singing, sport and quizzes, to help them build their confidence and enjoy support from other students. The project has also produced a book for the students, with positive female role models and stories for them to relate and aspire to.

Every few months, CARE organizes a community event for the girls to showcase their new skills. Parents and other community members are invited to celebrate the achievements of their children, and parents are publicly recognized for sending their girls to school.

Teachers and parents noticed the difference. Many teachers attend the sessions and some have incorporated the games in normal classes. They are thrilled to see the glowing faces of their daughters and the level of confidence they've gained by participating in various project activities.
Parent Teacher Associations have started meeting regularly and are actively involved in the school activities. The girls' massive participation in recent visits to nearby high schools is a sign of teacher and parental support. Some parents even accompanied the girls, proud to watch their daughters compete and present their activities in other communities.

In a remote area where the children have to walk for 2 – 3 km to attend the school, the mother of Maria told us that several of her children had dropped out of school already because of the distance. However, because of the change observed in her daughter, she has encouraged her oldest son to continue his school. This is one of the many examples where you can see, changes are possible, no matter how difficult a situation might be. And a girl can become a catalyst of change for the whole family.

Let's help Timorese girls to bloom and spread their fragrance around the world and take Timor Leste to the newer heights!