Uniforms for Unity: Strengthening Education in Gari-uai

The children attending the preschool at Centro Loreto in Gari-uai, near Baucau in Timor-Leste, will soon receive new, comfortable uniforms designed to instil a sense of pride and inclusion.

Opened in 2015, Centro Loreto provides early education for children in the Gari-uai community, offering them a solid foundation for learning within a nurturing and supportive environment.

The Loreto Sisters, dedicated to education for over 400 years, first arrived in Timor-Leste two decades ago. Their five core values of Felicity, Freedom, Justice, Sincerity and Verity are reflected at Centro Loreto, where the aim is to create an environment that guarantees every child has access to quality education, regardless of their socio-economic background.

The new uniforms are designed to ensure each child feels valued and connected to the school community. By promoting belonging, the uniforms will encourage students to participate confidently in school activities and fully engage in their education.

Understanding the financial challenges faced by many families living in Gari-uai, the Loreto Sisters and the director of the preschool have committed to subsidising the cost of the uniforms. This means that the cost won’t be a barrier to education, encouraging enrolments and consistent attendance once enrolled.

In the short term, 140 uniforms will be sourced from a small Timorese-run business in Dili to meet immediate needs. However, the long-term vision is for future uniforms to be sewn by a local women’s collective in Gari-uai, strengthening community engagement while creating a sustainable model for the future.

The funds generated from the sale of uniforms will be reinvested into the school’s infrastructure. This includes purchasing a television for educational purposes, a stage platform and microphone system for performances, and building a protective fence around the flower garden to prevent damage from roaming goats and chickens.

By providing uniforms to its students, Centro Loreto is ensuring access to education and strengthening the community of Gari-uai. As the preschool continues to grow and thrive, these efforts will help lay the foundation for each child’s success.

How Australian Support Is Driving Global Eduction

Peru

Child Rights in Huaycán

The children’s rights initiative, designed for upper primary school children, initially faced challenges due to basic literacy struggles. To address this, the team expanded its focus to include literacy improvement, helping students develop foundational skills to engage in the program. As a result, academic performance has improved, ensuring all students can fully benefit from the initiative.

South Sudan

Early Childhood Health and Nutrition

Access to health education has been transformative for the people of Maker Kuei in Rumbek. Mothers and caregivers are gaining essential knowledge to improve children’s health and nutrition, especially those under five. The program encourages families to attend free medical consultations, helping address preventable illnesses like malaria.

India

Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) Training Facility

The newly renovated training facility at the KMWSC head office is transforming how KMWSC delivers the educational component of its 17 community development programs. Previously, lack of transport limited rural participants’ ability to attend these sessions. The new centre removes this barrier, offering overnight accommodation and allowing participants to engage fully without the pressure of an arduous journey home.

Brickfield Schools in West Bengal

Read more here.

Vietnam

Vinh Loc Learning Support Program

Read more here.

Timor-Leste

Loreto Preschool in Gari-uai

Read more here.

Loreto Community Centre in Ostico

The Loreto Community Centre is a learning hub for the people of Ostico. It currently serves as a place where English is taught to local community members, assisting them to make the most of opportunities in this fast-developing country.

HAFUCO training room in Triloca

The Mary Ward International funded training room at HAFUCO, a women-led cooperative, boosts the group’s ability to deliver maternal and child health education. Sessions are held twice a week, accommodating up to 30 participants per session, including university students from Dili who visit as part of their coursework.

Zambia

Sancta Maria College of Nursing and Midwifery

Read more here.

High School Lunch Program

In Lukulu, where many families face food insecurity, this program provides 80 students with the nutrition needed to stay focused in class. Well-fed students perform better academically, particularly in afternoon lessons, leading to improved participation and long-term success, helping them stay in school and graduate.

Diploma of Nursing Bursaries

Diploma of Nursing bursaries support students facing financial barriers, enabling access to quality education. These bursaries help students develop essential healthcare skills for remote regions, easing financial pressure while preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals to improve health outcomes in underserved communities.

Joy & Connection: Loreto Coorparoo’s Timor-Leste Immersion

Year 11 Student, Loreto College Coorparoo

Fifteen students and three staff from Loreto College Coorparoo travelled to Timor-Leste in September this year to learn more about the country’s people and culture as part of the College’s immersion program.

The group spent time in the Loreto communities during this time, learning from and connecting with the Loreto sisters, school communities and their broader networks.

We visited the Loreto preschool in Gari-uai, where we were warmly welcomed by the students and teachers. The Coorparoo teachers allowed us to take reign of the class, where we had fun teaching the children songs, dances and games. It bought joy and felicity to everyone as we played Duck Duck Goose and watched the children running around while laughing. The children enthusiastically engaged in the songs and activities including learning the alphabet song to singing and dancing to Heads, Shoulder, Knees and Toes. Despite the language barrier, the children communicated with us through their huge smiles whenever we walked into the room and the sounds of laughter that filled the room during our lessons.

In Ostico, the group was again privileged to teach at the local primary school in the company of the Loreto Sisters. While at the school the group witnessed the kind and caring manner of the sisters’ interaction with the children. The Loreto Sisters demonstrated hospitality and generosity to us as they welcomed us into their home and showed us around their beautiful village. While making bracelets, we learned about the amazing work they are doing in their community. It was obvious they are living the charism of Mary Ward in all they do.

Travelling to Timor-Leste gave us the opportunity to see the life-changing work that Mary Ward International Australia is doing, reinforcing the admiration we have of organisation and the Sisters, and made us even prouder of being members of the Loreto community.