By Rebecca Lee | Writer
The villagers in the mountain community of Barushan in remote Tajikistan are abuzz. Old and young alike can’t stop talking about the construction of the new Preschool #2, now underway.
Yusuf Sarkorov
“This is the best thing that happened here in Barushan this year!” exclaims Yusuf. His son attended the former preschool which was dilapidated, drafty, and horrifically unsafe.
“To all those who helped us and made a decision on this construction, huge gratitude from the residents of Barushan!”
Yusuf’s enthusiasm is shared by other parents, children, and teachers alike.
“The whole village is very, very happy,” says Nuriya Tavakalova, the head of the school. “Every day, passing by the construction site, people observe the construction process and are very happy that the work is progressing at such a speed.”
A new school is a big deal in a remote, impoverished village, where families can feel cut off, isolated, and forgotten by the rest of the world. Education represents the chance for a better life. A new school instills a sense of pride and ownership in the community. Their enthusiasm and sense of pride are contagious – we feel it and hope you, as a supporter, can feel it too!
The old school provided places for 112 children ages 3 to 6. The new two-story building will be large enough to accommodate the children on the waiting list, bringing the total to 130 children—an increase of at least 15 percent!
We’re projecting that enrollment will continue to grow as the area grows in population. The new school will also serve the young children from a nearby village.
But of equal importance is what the new school will mean for the community over the span of several years. By giving young children the advantages of an early start on education, the preschool will contribute to the long-term well-being of the entire village.
Future generations will receive a foundation for learning. Children who attend early childhood development activities like those that will be offered at Preschool #2 are likely not only to perform better in primary school and but also complete high school. And because children are more likely to stay in school when they start at a young age, the odds of them one day earning a living wage and contributing to their country’s economy also improve.
Rustam, an education specialist, and local resident echoes the cries of joy from her community. “We residents of Barushan village express our gratitude to CAI for such a gift to our children and our future as a whole!”
Click here to read the full story.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
