Early Childhood Development Initiative

This year, we encouraged the families of our preschool children to join the fun and dynamic activities we have planned.  We had a wonderful time celebrating UN day/cultural celebration with parents and students where fantastic songs were sung from the different nationalities of Ba Futuru’s preschool children as well as a Moroccan dance performance by the children. Students, teachers and parents all joined in on the fun and got to experience the taste of the various cultures represented.

Your support through Global Giving has generously supplied the funds needed for us to welcome 15 economically disadvantaged community students in our preschool.  You have supported the personal development and academic growth of these children through the provision of engaging activities and materials while their physical health is supported by nutritious snacks.

A parent from a 5-year-old student stated that: “My son has learnt so many things at school.  I was really impressed when I saw him share information on continents and country name with his little sister. He also taught his little sister to sing and count in Tetun, English and Portuguese!”

In December, we will also provide a follow-up training for our educators on early childhood education and child protection. Furthermore, we have recently had the addition of a new international teacher Juanita Belling from Sri Lanka. She has more than 5 years of experience in working in education and will no doubt has greatly contributed to the development of our early childhood education program.

Lastly, we are working on a thorough safety protocol for Ba Futuru’s preschool in collaboration with the US Embassy to ensure the safety and security of our preschool students. We expect the protocol will be finalized before the end of the year.

As the holidays approach, please consider giving again to support these amazing children. You can give a gift in honor of someone via Global Giving and then print out a holiday gift card for them.

Once again we appreciate all that you have done to provide this amazing opportunity for these Timorese children.

Due to your generous support during the second semester of preschool in 2017 16 kids were able to attend Ba Futuru’s Early Childhood Education Facility free of charge (7 boys and 9 girls).

The children’s social and cognitive skill development leapt forward as our facility provided them the space and opportunity to learn and explore, each child receiving support tailored to their developmental stage. The children engaged in fun activities around literacy and numeracy development based on the national curriculum provided by Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Education.

Ba Futuru preschool also works to develop the social skills of the child, specifically focusing on their competencies in the areas of sharing, relationship building, empathy, respect for others, and following the rules.

One of the young girls in the 4/5 year old Explorers class influenced her parents to become more respectful and not use bad words. Her mother also reported to her preschool teachers that her child’s behavior has improved since she has been attending Ba Futuru’s preschool.

These children rely on your support in order that they can continue to receive a high standard of early childhood education, which provides a great start for their future. Please consider sharing the opportunity to support this important cause with your friends and family.

Thank you!