Stories: Children, Community, Future

In the middle of a mountainous area in Tan Lac district, kilometres away from the main road, stands the new Khieng branch of Phu Cuong preschool. Seeing it, no one could imagine how it looked just last year.

Built nearly a decade ago, the old facility was in bad condition whose walls were stained brown from years of being soaked in torrential rain. Thanks to the support of ChildFund, it underwent major renovation, promising to create a new going-to-school experience for the children.

Children doing a warm up exercise on the new school yard

Linh, 5, along with her schoolmates have been the first to enjoy it.

A tiled playground that has the slide and small jungle gym not only brings the little preschoolers recreation and enjoyment during their breaks, but also supports their social, emotional and physical development.

Linh enjoying the new playground that gives her and her friends a lot of fun

Most importantly, the new school is capable of serving tasty and nutritious lunch cooked right in the new kitchen every day.

“Instead of taking our children home or fetching lunches from the main school for them, we can keep doing our work knowing that our children are full and well taken care of”, Linh’s mother – a farmer – shared.

Once their physical needs are satisfied, the children can acquire more knowledge that they otherwise cannot with a hungry belly.

Shy as Linh might be with strangers, she is active and lively when in class. Thanks to new learning equipment, Linh feels more confident taking the lead in role play activity such as organising a classroom in which she is the teacher. And in return, her friends really pay attention to what ‘teacher’ Linh says.

Similarly, their teachers find it easier teaching in the new rooms as big space allows them to organise more in-class activities and a wide screen does help them present lessons in an understandable and interesting way.

Linh giving her role play students a musical lesson

Linh will soon leave this place for primary school. Though she might miss it, Linh surely will be happy as her little brother is going to learn his very first lessons here and enjoy the same benefits Linh has been having.