Dili, Timor-Leste –Junior Achievement-Timor Leste (JATLS) launched the “Preparing Timor-Leste Young People for a Financially Stable Future (Juventude de Timor-Leste para um futuro financeiramente estavel) ” project with an open morning for the community on September 22, 2007 at Centro de Formação Joao Paulo II in Comoro.

U.S. Ambassador Hans Klemm inaugurated the project, which is being supported by USAID’s Small Grants Program. The Ambassador is a former student of Junior Achievement. “I was nine years old and in third grade when I was introduced to the whole concept behind entrepreneurship through Junior Achievement. It was clear to me, even at an early age, that private enterprise is really the foundation of economic growth. Through this initiative, your children will not only understand the basics of business and economics, but they will learn important skills that will enable them to be successful businessmen and women in the future,” Ambassador Klemm said in his remarks.

“Preparing Timor-Leste Young People for a Financially Stable Future” is a long term project that aims to integrate enterprise education programs into the elementary school curriculum. The project hopes to introduce responsible and ethical business values to young Timorese students and at the same time ensure that they are prepared to meet the challenges of working in the global economy.

The pilot project will be implemented initially in five private schools in Dili beginning in September 2007 and reach 1,800 students. Through a hands-on approach, Junior Achievement hopes that the elementary students will gain a basic and functional understanding of business and economics.

“The idea is that children will learn while having fun. Through progressive activities, students will learn about their roles as individuals, consumers and workers. They will also learn about responsibilities and opportunities within their economic community,” JATLS Executive Director Karis Cooper explained.

Frederico Pereira de Matos, a civil servant, came to the open morning with his daughter Juvilena, a grade one student at the Canossian school. He and his daughter had gone around the booths looking at the boardgames and other activity-oriented materials that JATLS plans to use to teach enterprise education. “It is good. The method is practical and uses examples from our actual environment. Our children will learn not just by memorizing,” he said.

Licinio Branco, also a civil servant and a father of three, agreed: “This is really useful. We’re a new country and education is very important. Our children will learn early about money and will be introduced to modern concepts. My wife and I will help our children learn about entrepreneurship at home, too. It’s important for their future.”

JATLS will be training the teachers with internationally recognized methods to prepare them for the task of teaching Timor-Leste’s primary school students the ABCs of business and economics.

The sequential modules to be used for Grades One to Six have been adapted for Timor-Leste elementary schools by a team composed of civil society, business and education leaders. The materials were displayed during the open morning for the community to see and assess. The parents were glad to fill in the survey questionnaires seeking their reaction to the materials on display. “We asked them to review the design and content of the modules, and whether their children will like or understand the education materials. This is because feedback is an integral part of the Junior Achievement methodology,” said JATLS Executive Director Karis Cooper.

Junior Achievement Timor-Leste is part of the largest and fastest growing entrepreneurial, business and economic education organization in the world, Junior Achievement Worldwide. JA currently operates in more than 115 countries.

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