By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
STUDENTS throughout Casey were given a detailed insight into East Timorese culture last week.
The Friends of Ermera group held its biennial student forum on Wednesday at Akoonah Park Reception Centre in which Casey students from primary and high schools were given the opportunity to learn about life and school in East Timor.
Many of these students will travel to East Timor to volunteer with their assigned Friendship School from the country, while many others at the student forum had already taken part in the program in the Ermera district.
“Many of those who were there will go on to visit Ermera and some already visited last year,” Friends of Ermera president Jan Trezise said.
“There’s lots of learning and passing things on.”
The forum included a range of activities to help the students to experience and be prepared for East Timorese culture, including history lessons, dancing sessions and language sessions.
The Casey schools involved in last week’s forum were Gleneagles College in Endeavour Hills, Beaconhills College, Hillcrest Christian College, Nossal High School, Berwick, St Paul Apostle North Primary, St Paul Apostle South Primary, and St Francis Xavier College.
“If students want to go to Timor, it’s quite an overwhelming experience the first time, it was for me,” Ms Trezise said.
“The more preparation you have the more sensitive you will be to the culture and it will be less of a shock as well, you will be better able to meet the people.
“East Timorese people nearly all came here as refugees. They love sharing their culture; it adds to the diversity and celebrates the diversity of the City of Casey.
“And there’s so many other diverse cultures that need to be celebrated in the municipality.”
This year the Friends of Ermera is asking schools to concentrate their fund-raising efforts on raising money for a girls scholarship program which provides support for 92 girls from poor families to continue with their education.
Guidelines will be given on what schools can do and they will be asked to make plans for what they would like to achieve this year.
For more information about the Friends of Ermera, visit www.casey.vic.gov.au/council/about-casey/sistercities/ermera.
