More than 70 East Timorese students will get to experience a quality education, thanks to a Wagga community group who has banded together to help build a school.
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After volunteers witnessed the needs of children in the East Timor village of Tutuala, Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga worked to finance a new preschool, which opened earlier this month.
International director Gordon Saggers said he visited the area on a number of occasions and helped identify the need.
“A lot of these people still have dirt floors, they don’t have running water or toilets and just go in the bush,” Mr Saggers said.
“It will make such a difference to their lives.”
Mr Saggers said Tutuala was selected due to its remote location, in one of the Rotary club’s biggest projects.
“We thought they would be the last place to receive help and we may as well go to the extreme,” Mr Saggers said.
“We were able to give local people employment and use local suppliers.
“It was important for the locals to be able to do their own thing but do it with financial support.”
The $34,000 project was solely raised by Wagga’s rotary club and friends from a cattle drive.
The preschool originally catered for just 40 students, with the new building providing two classrooms and a staff and storage room to cater for a greater intake.
Mr Saggers said the village community was incredibly grateful for the financial support.
“It was almost embarrassing the way they looked after us all,” Mr Saggers said.
“It was so gratifying to have helped them and the whole club was dedicated to the effort.”
Mr Saggers was joined by Wagga club president Paul Galloway and club member, Dr Alok Sharma.
The trio oversaw the selection of the site, sought government approval for the building and provided materials to workers on a regular basis.
Both Mr Saggers and Mr Galloway were honoured to be part of the project, with a classroom named after each of them.
Mr Saggers said project planning took around 12 months with a further eight months spent physically constructing the building.
Mr Saggers said the club was tackling the plan in three stages, focusing on education, water and sanitation.
He said the club would continue with further talks about improving water and sanitation within the village.
“We insisted the roof put on had gutters on it for a tank to help their water problems,” Mr Saggers said.
“They have problems with conservation and their sanitation is very basic.”
Mr Saggers said feedback had been positive, with students enjoying their new space.
“The whole town turned out to respect the fact that a rotary club from another country had helped them,” Mr Saggers said.
“Everyone is ecstatic, the whole community can see the care it provides.”