Development for the Future Foundation (FUNDEF) has received $90,894 in funding from the Japanese government to build more classrooms at the Cribas Basic School in Manatuto municipality.
FUNDEF Director of Carlos Moniz Gonçalves said the funding would be used to build three new classrooms and five toilets.
“We are building more rooms and toilets for students because these are very important,” said Gonçalves after signing the agreement at the Japanese embassy in Marconi, Dili.
He said the project was now underway and hoped that it would be completed by the due date.
General Director for the Ministry of Education Antoninho Pires said more than 800 schools across Timor-Leste are in poor condition.
For that reason, he said the government was appreciative of FUNDEF’s efforts to improve facilities at Cribas school.
“We really appreciate FUNDEF for helping the government to reduce education problems, particularly in basic infrastructure,” he said.
He said the government was also grateful to the Japanese government for its support.
Student Graciela Ximenes said almost all schools across Timor-Leste were in poor condition and that the government needed to allocate a budget for school repairs.
“They (the government) should have a proper plan, every five years they should focus on school repairs and then do other things,” she said.
