Since 1999, New Zealand has played a key role in international efforts to restore peace and encourage progress in Timor-Leste, following the country's decade-long struggle for independence from Indonesia.
New Zealand police officers working as part of the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) in rural and remote communities have a unique insight into the challenges facing ordinary Timorese people. That insight prompted a group of Kiwi officers to go beyond their official work duties and team up with the charitable organisation, ChildFund.
ChildFund has been working in Timor-Leste for more than 20 years and knew that the mountain village of Leotala, in the country's Liquica district, was a community that could benefit from the officers' support.
ChildFund had already helped improve basic services in Leotala and raised community awareness about the importance of education, but while the village's Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre had an enthusiastic teacher and 34 students, it lacked basic resources such as desks and chairs.
Thanks to the generous support of the New Zealand police officers, Leotala's ECD centre now has wooden desks and chairs for all its students. ChildFund has also installed a playground, provided training for the centre's teacher and is making regular deliveries of nutritious food.
Superintendent John Spence, Commander of the UN mission's New Zealand Police contingent in Timor-Leste, says the children are delighted with their new desks and chairs and are now in a better position to learn.