There’s nothing quite like hearing a child talk about what they want to be when they grow up. Seven-year-old Lucinda says, “I would like to be a teacher! Just like my teacher. Because I like to teach children.”
Lucinda lives in a remote village in Timor-Leste. Her school is part of our Inclusive Early Education Project (formerly known as the Mobile Learning Centre). This project focuses on ensuring that education is inclusive for all – including children with a disability.
Our colourful bus travels along dusty roads to bring a variety of fun and interactive learning experiences to Lucinda and her classmates. The bus arrives, full of books in the local language Tetun, games, puppets, and musical instruments. The children run over with excitement — eager to take their pick of activities and ready to explore the wonder of learning.
Since Lucinda’s involvement in Mary MacKillop Today’s Inclusive Early Education Project, her love of learning has only grown. So much so, that she wants to become a teacher herself one day!
Hear what Lucinda has to say about learning:
“I like going to school because I have many friends in the school. We can read together, sing together, draw together, count together, and play together.
My best friend is Miranda. We help each other to read together.
Every day we come to school to write, tell stories, paint, sing, and draw.
The teacher taught us to sing, “Nabilan-Nabilan” (Nabilan means “bright” in Tetum). Another song we sing is “A, E, I, O, U”.
We sing while swaying to the words. We sing, we dance!
My teacher taught us to sing, read and draw. Teachers also teach us not to fight, and not to lie to each other. The teacher said we need to study hard in school to be wise children.”
The difficult reality is that girls like Lucinda in Timor-Leste tend to become less involved in educational activities as they grow older. This becomes even more of an issue in remote and rural communities.
But if a love of learning is nurtured during early education, it can boost the likelihood of girls like Lucinda continuing to higher education.
This is why our Inclusive Early Education Project works to ensure that families in remote villages have access to quality, inclusive education. The reason we’re able to do this is because of generous supporters like you who help put our colourful bus on the road. You are creating a lasting enthusiasm for learning throughout these young lives. Thank you!
