Sustainable Development Goals
The Challenge
Timor Leste is Asia’s youngest country and still one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries. Achieving independence came at great cost for the Timorese with many people killed and displaced, many buildings, homes and schools severely damaged or destroyed, and the institutions and public services decimated. The country lost over 80% of its secondary teachers in its battle for independence. Today, Timor Leste has a very high youth population (over 61%) and high youth unemployment, 50% of the population still live in extreme poverty. There are many teachers across the country without adequate qualifications and training to teach at a secondary level.
The Jesuits in Timor have collaborated with the Ministry of Education, other Catholic schools and the education sector more broadly to ensure the curriculum and education programs meets the needs of the country.
How We’re Helping
Fundação Companhia de Jesus – Timor Leste (Jesuits in Timor Leste Regio) and Instituto São João de Brito (ISJB) have requested an Accountant/Financial Planner Mentor.
The Jesuit-run Institute for Teacher Education in Kasait, Timor Leste aims to develop secondary teachers who will spearhead the formation of future generations of Timorese.
Palms has recruited and prepared Gavin Purcell, who has 25 + years’ experience with market leaders in funds management, financial services, and the investment banking industry. He has worked in the UK and Australia.
Gavin will be working with the finance team to review and develop policies and guidelines on financial processes that will reflect a sound accounting system and will be captured in a published finance manual.
Is the Project Sustainable?
This project will offer two years of professional development assistance to Fundação Companhia de Jesus – Timor-Leste and Instituto São João de Brito (ISJB) so that:
- By end of 2025, ISJB will have a complete policies and guidelines on the financial processes that will reflect a sound accounting system to be captured in a published finance manual.
- By end of 2025, ISJB will have a finance team that is competent in terms of recording, reporting, analysing, and processing all the financial transactions and activities of the school and can respond to the internal and external queries.
- By end of 2025, the finance team will have the capacity to advise the Rector on strategic finance matters of the school and in the decision-making processes.
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