New classrooms for Bahnar preschool children

After a period of combined classes in a sports hall, 70 preschool children in Ayun commune now have new, sturdy classrooms.

On the morning of 25/9, Ayun Preschool in Ayun commune, Gia Lai province, opened two new classrooms for its 4-5 year old classes. The project was sponsored by Hope Foundation in collaboration with Vietnam USA Society (VUS) English Center.

Previously, due to a lack of classrooms, many kindergarten classes had to attend a temporary school site about 2 km from the main campus. After the old Dak Jo Ta Kindergarten merged into Ayun Preschool, these classes were temporarily moved to the sports hall. The open space, lack of partitions, and equipment caused many difficulties for teaching and caring for semi-boarding children.

The two new classrooms were inaugurated on the morning of 25/9.

Representatives of Hope Foundation and the sponsor, along with school representatives, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new classrooms.

Do Thi Hong Dinh, principal of Ayun Preschool, stated that most students here are children of the Bahnar ethnic group. After three months of construction, the two new classrooms, nearly 150 square meters in size, were completed according to the Ministry of Education and Training's standards.

"The new facilities help the school completely resolve the temporary learning situation, creating a safe space for children to play and develop appropriately for their age," Dinh said.

In addition to building two new classrooms at the main campus with a cost of 500 million VND, the project also renovated facilities at two satellite school sites, Dek Jieng and De Bo Tuk. The total sponsorship for the items in Ayun commune was 900 million VND, directly improving learning conditions for nearly 170 children in the area.

The De Bo Tuk school site has a new look after renovation.

On this occasion, the volunteer group also presented 270 Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to all students of the school and supported some disadvantaged families in the locality.

Duong Thi Quynh Trang, HR and Administration Director of VUS, stated that upgrading schools in highland areas is a long-term strategy aimed at promoting equitable access to education for impoverished children. From 2020 to date, the unit's staff and teachers have collaborated to support the construction and renovation of 14 school sites nationwide.

The project in Gia Lai is part of the "School Light" program, implemented by Hope Foundation since 2018. After 8 years of operation, the program has built new and repaired over 700 school sites in remote and disadvantaged areas, accompanying hundreds of thousands of students and teachers.