Friends of Same Scholarship Program

The Friends of Same supports young people from the Same sub-district of East Timor to further their education through provision of scholarships to well-regarded educational institutions elsewhere in East Timor.

The program has focused on vocational secondary education to two senior technical colleges. Recent unrest in Timor-Leste has highlighted frustration with the lack of opportunity in education and employment for young people. This has reinforced the need for groups like the Friends of Same to work to provide opportunities for further education and leadership development. As a result, the scholarship program has been expanded in 2006-2007 school year to include an agricultural college and teacher training.

Don Bosco Technical School, Fatumaca
St Mary Mazzarello Girls' High School, Venilale
Don Bosco Agricultural and Veterinary Science College, Fuiloro
Catolico para Firmacao de Professores (Baucau Teachers College)

The program was the initiative of a young East Timorese student studying at Swinburne TAFE at Hawthorn, Cosme Ximenes who attended Don Bosco Technical College, and wanted others to have this opportunity (see article in the Progress Leader August 9, 2004). The program is supported in Australia by Br Michael Lynch of the Salesians Mission. Padre David Alves da Conceicao, assistant parish priest in Same, and the principals of the Colleges support the program in East Timor.

The schools

Don Bosco Technical School, Fatumaca

This offers a three-year program with specializations in: Carpentry and cabinet making; metalwork, basic engineering and machine tools; Electricity; and Electronics. There are 270 students, aged 16-23 at the school.

The Friends of Same currently supports five students to attend the College including Isaac Tae Abrantes, who is in his third year 2007, and Oscar dos Reis Sereno (carpentry) and Claudio Mariano Ornai Da Graca (electronics), who are in second year for 2007.

St Mary Mazzarello Girls' High School (Salesian Sisters Vocational High School), Venilale

This provides courses in cooking/food preparation, dressmaking and hygiene in addition to standard academic subjects. There are 100 students at the school.

Friends of Same currently supports two students at the High School, Felismina Da Silva and Felismina Seixas Da Silva, both of whom will be entering their final year of studies for 2006-2007. Unfortunately no candidates were successful in the second intake.

Don Bosco Agricultural and Veterinary Science College, Fuiloro

The Don Bosco Agricultural School at Fuiloro is run by the Salesian order, and has a program to provide 200 students with basic agricultural theory and practice (in the case of the students from Same, three years secondary and two years post-secondary). A dairy project at the school set up by Kiwanis International (Australia) has helped broaden the curriculum, as well as improving nutrition for children in the area. The scholarship program provides an opportunity to assist local agriculture in the Same sub-district, exposing students to the science of food production, and new techniques, which may help improve output. Principal of the College is Fr Manuel Ximenes.

The Friends of Same supports four students to attend the College. These are:

Deonisio Artur Tilman Ximemes, from Holurua
Oscar Quei-Quli Fatima Corte-Real, from Holurua
Elifopio Pereira, from Holurua
Falviano M. da Silva, from Letefoho

Catolico para Firmacao de Professores (Baucau Teachers College)

Five students from Same sub-district have commenced three years of primary teacher training at the Baucau Teachers College on scholarships provided by the Friends of Same.The College is run by the Marist Brothers and is accredited by the Australian Catholic University. Four of the five students are girls. Arrangements for payments and student support have been made directly with the college. The students are renting a house together within close walking distance to the College.

Costs of the Scholarship Program

The scholarships provided by the Friends of Same cover boarding and tuition costs, establishment costs, allowances for personal items, and travel costs to enable students to return home three times a year, and some pocket money. Fatumaca, Venilale and Fuiloro are all located in the eastern side of the country, near the centre of Baucau, second largest city in Timor-Leste.

Don Bosco Technical School, Fatumaca: est. US$350 per student per year
St Mary Mazzarello Girls' High School, Venilale: US$400 per student per year (including establishment costs)
Don Bosco Agricultural and Veterinary Science College, Fuiloro: US$346 per student per year
Catolico para Firmacao de Professores (Baucau Teachers College): US$481 per student per year

Your help would be appreciated

Support for the scholarship program will enable the Friends of Same to continue to offer scholarships on an ongoing basis, as well as supporting the current intake. The Friends of Same has a gift voucher scheme for the scholarship program (see How to Donate).

Updated on 02 June 2007.