A fire-scorched classroom at the UNTIM campus

A typical UNTIM classroom in 2002 - painful reminders of the 1999 devastation

Scorched and shattered but still with some window panes, this UNTIM classroom is typical of many that have been actively used for classes over the last three years.

The debris has been removed and many classrooms now have student seats and a whiteboard.

The East Timorese regard education as the most important priority for their country.

They can live with the discomfort but are daily reminded of the devastation that shattered their country. The restoration of the UNTIM buildings would greatly assist in excorcising painful memories and focus their eyes on the future.