Context

Since 2010, GTV has been active in East Timor through development and international cooperation projects.
GTV’s work focuses on the island of Atauro (specifically in the village of Makili), where Father Francesco Moser and Father Pierluigi Fornasier served as Catholic missionaries.
Since 2022, GTV and the community of Besenello have resumed operations on the island thanks to the support of the Congregation of the Piarist Fathers and funding from the Trentino-Alto Adige-Südtirol Region.
The island is characterized by high rates of poverty, gender inequality, and limited access to water sources, with serious consequences in terms of poor sanitation and low agricultural production. Furthermore, transportation across the island of Atauro is very difficult and contributes to isolation, high school dropout rates, and poverty.
On the island of Atauro, elementary schools are located in almost every “Suko,” but there are only two secondary schools on the entire island (one general secondary school and one technical school), both located in Vila Maumeta.
As a result, all 14- to 17-year-olds from Makili must currently walk along the cliffs for about an hour and a half to reach these secondary schools in Vila Maumeta—a very dangerous and difficult route—leading to a high school dropout rate. The quality of these schools is also significantly lower than that of schools in Dili and the rest of East Timor.

Actions:

GTV intends to continue supporting the Atauro community by providing material assistance for the new secondary school currently being completed in Makili, on the grounds of the Piarist mission: this new school could provide tangible support for education on the island.
Construction of the school began in 2022, funded by the Congregation of the Piarist Fathers in Spain and USAID: these funds were used to construct the shell of the buildings and to purchase some of the necessary furniture (furniture for one of the two classrooms).
The facility covers 160 square meters and consists of two classrooms (64 square meters each) and two offices (16 square meters each). Once completed, the school will be able to accommodate 60 students aged 14–17, divided into two classes. A formal agreement will be signed establishing the school’s ownership (by the local diocese) and ensuring its management by the Congregation of the Piarist Fathers.
The school is scheduled to open in January 2027 (timeline to be determined with the diocese depending on the progress of construction), and will be preceded by three months of teacher training (conducted by the Piarist Fathers). It will also take time to obtain formal recognition as a secondary school (students will receive official diplomas and will subsequently be eligible for university admission).
Currently, the plan is to employ six teachers at the school, including four residents of Makili who are already certified teachers and two Piarist Fathers. The external teachers will be paid largely by the diocese, through its foundation, and to a lesser extent by the families (fees to be determined based on the families’ financial circumstances). Instruction will be conducted in Portuguese, Tetum, and English.
To complete the school, several more months of work will be needed, along with the funds required to cover the final expenses (suspended ceiling, flooring, doors and windows, blackboards, painting, and chairs for one classroom). All of this work is expected to be completed in 2026.

Updates:

Sponsors:

Comune di Besenello

Parrocchia di S. Agata, Besenello