VETs Friendship School, Daisula, Same
"Paying a debt of honour, being a good neighbour"
On 17 September 2018 the Patron of Boaventura University, Falintil Commander Riak Leman, bequeathed 5 Hectares of the land of the University to Australian Veterans to be utilized by Australian and Timor-Leste Veterans as a retreat and training facility.
A project was born, initially called 'Riak Retreat, with the intent to raise money to build an english language capability. The project, known as the Vocational Education Training Scheme (VETS) has been a remarkable success as outlined below. VETS is a project initiated and funded by Australian veterans in the development of a multi-purpose education facility on the south coast of Timor-Leste.
The VETS project is an extension of the Timor Awakening Program, providing a focus for Australian Veterans to raise money, volunteer and learn the benefits of giving and serving others, especially those less fortunate. The project is located amongst the communities that supported Australian Commandos in World War 2 and is considered a key part of Australia’s debt of honour to the people of Timor-Leste.
