The Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste have been able to continue to successfully run our scholarship program for women and girls during the limitations of COVID in Timor-Leste. This project specifically supports young East Timorese women who come from disadvantaged families. Without access to these scholarships, these young women would not be able to gain a higher education, and in some cases were vulnerable to dropping out of high school.
The final three years of secondary school are the most expensive for East Timorese families, therefore the most likely time that students will drop out of school due to financial hardship. Despite the challenging year, both Deolinda and Esmeralda completed a full year of senior secondary school and will continue their study in 2022.
We also supported 7 young East Timorese women to complete a further year of study in a university level degree in 2021: Zelia – 2nd year, Diploma of Nursing; Eliza – 4th year, Bachelor of Tour & Travel Management; Reinha – 4th year, Bachelor of Public Health; Delfina –2nd year, Diploma of Nursing; Flavia – 2nd year, Diploma of Nursing; Judith – 2nd year, Bachelor of Economic Management and Sofia – 2nd year, Bachelor of Nutrition.
All these young women received excellent academic results during a year of significant challenges and periods of extended distance learning. A senior student, Eliza, has begun work on her final thesis and is due to graduate in May 2022.
Photos: Reinha (left) who is studying Nursing and, Judith (right) who is studying Economic Management.
