THE EAST TIMOR AI-KAMELI TRUST PROJECT

The Ai-Kameli Trust supports a scholarships programme for East Timorese students to study in UK Universities and is looking to establish a programme of scholarships for East Timorese students to study in East Timor higher education institutions. We are keen to emphasise access to women candidates as women students in tertiary education only make up a very small minority of the total.

Our recently set up advisory board in East Timor assures us that the quality education obtained in UK academic institutions, when brought home and passed on to students in East Timor is of immense and lasting value. Whilst this can only be offered to a minority of suitably qualified and gifted students, its value can be multiplied many times over when the student returns home and re-invests the knowledge and the skills in his or her country. The opportunities we are also offering to students to study at home mean that a much larger number of students can upgrade their skills and complete studies which will give them much better employment prospects at home. The planned scholarship programme for East Timor higher education studies will compliment the UK programme. Both programmes will identify students with a particular sense of commitment to East Timor, to sharing skills and capacities, and to nation-building.

Investing in education is a long-term strategy. However all evidence proves that raising the educational and skills base of a developing country can significantly contribute to raising sustainable development over time.

Support Requested

The Ai-Kameli Trust is establishing an East Timor based advisory board and together the ET and UK boards will establish an East Timor based scholarship programme.

The East Timor advisory board is critical to the development of the Ai-Kameli Trust's work. The board, to be composed of key individuals working in the field of education in East Timor will advise the UK board with regard to the developing educational needs of their country. This board will compliment the Trust's existing and successful network of non-governmental organisational advisors and partnership working. The East Timor board will be well placed to take a key role in the development and implementation of an alumni group and a monitoring and evaluation process to implement as the first of the Ai-Kameli Trust's scholarship students graduate and return to their home country. We are seeking support to be able to develop this board, its links with the UK, the alumni group and the monitoring and evaluation programme.

The Trust intends to establish an East Timor based scholarship programme to enable East Timorese individuals who would not otherwise be able to study at a higher education institution in East Timor to learn skills key to the development of their nation. This will simultaneously support the development of the East Timor higher education system. To enable the development of this new scholarship programme we are seeking support for the organisational structures required, including the employment of an East Timorese consultant and office costs.

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