How your school can help

Imagine going to a school that doesn’t have a toilet. Or clean fresh water to drink. It’s difficult to imagine in Australia but for many children in neighboring Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, it’s a huge problem – particularly for girls.

“Going to school isn’t just about a teacher and a classroom”

Without access to clean water at school, separate toilets for girls and boys and hand-washing facilities to use, many children become very ill and miss out on school.

Access to clean water is a basic necessity of life. Providing a reliable and safe water supply staves off diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery – which can be deadly in developing countries like Timor-Leste.

What can you do?
On Universal Children’s Day, UNICEF Australia is asking you to help us change this situation. Join with our UNICEF Day for Change Ambassadors, Socceroos legend Tim Cahill, childrens author Morris Gleitzman and AFL star Harry O’brien, and take up the UNICEF Day for Change Challenge – UNICEF wants to get 180 000 Australian children involved -that’s approximately one Aussie student for every Timor Leste child that doesn’t get to finish their nine years of school.

If 180,000 Australia children raise just $1 each, UNICEF can bring water tanks or water supply, toilet blocks, improved rubbish facilities and hygiene promotion to four East Timorese Primary Schools indentified as in great need of support. These facilities are proven to increase the likelihood of children attending school.

Help UNICEF create a more positive, disease-free future for the world’s poorest children. Encourage your school to get involved in UNICEF Day for Change 2011 and support UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Schools program in Timor-Leste. Your school’s donation will make a big difference in providing children access to safe drinking water, toilets and hand-washing facilities to help keep them healthy and keep them in school. Download the Timor-Leste factsheet for more information.

This year, participate in the UNICEF Walk for Water activity to teach Australian students how important it is for all children around the world to have access to clean water, sanitation and hand-washing facilities at school. This activity is a fun and easy way for schools to help raise funds. Read more

For more information about UNICEF’s work providing clean water and improved sanitation to schools please click here.

Click here to read real life stories of how access to clean water and sanitation has changed the lives of children in Timor-Leste.

Find out how schools celebrated in 2011.

Meet our UNICEF Day for Change Ambassadors 

Socceroos hero Tim Cahill, children’s author Morris Gleitzman and AFL Collingwood defender Harry O’Brien are helping Australian kids celebrate UNICEF Day for Change. Read more

Don’t miss your chance to help make a change for children. Register your school to take part today.