[KKOOM] Early education for Korean toddlers

This spring, three Korean toddlers, who live at an orphanage in Gumi (about three hours south of Seoul), are able to attend preschool thanks to your individual financial support. The Korean government does not provide funding for toddlers who live in orphanages to go to preschool until they are 4, but curiously, the government does pay for non-orphans to go to preschool as soon as the parents are willing to send them. KKOOM first recognized this need gap several years ago, and since then we've been able to help 2 and 3 year-old Korean orphans go to preschool.

Two of the three toddlers attending preschool this semester with KKOOM's support are S.H. and J.H., whom we've written about previously. Their house mothers have reported that both are doing well, both at preschool and at home.

Starting in March, KKOOM sent our 10th toddler to preschool in Korea. J.S. is almost 2 years old and has been living at the orphanage since January (his family background is unknown to us at this time). His house mother at the orphanage says that J.S. seems timid at first but definitely makes his opinions known! He likes playing with balls, cars and his stuffed rabbit toy. He is a good eater, and especially likes apples. J.S. By going to preschool, J.S.'s house mother hopes that he can learn to get along well with his new classmate friends and have fun.

So far, it sounds like J.S. has been doing just that. Everyone at the preschool says that J.S. has been adjusting well and making new friends. His house mother said, "Thank you so much to KKOOM and all of KKOOM's supporters. Without you, J.S. wouldn't be able to go to preschool for 2 more years, and I don't know what we would have done."

In our next report, we'll let you know how J.S.'s first semester at preschool was and share with you any new developments about our preschool for Korean orphan toddlers program. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you!  Thank you so much for your generous support!

This fall we have two 2-year-old toddlers, J.H. and S.H., attending preschool with KKOOM's support. We asked their orphanage house mothers to tell us a little about them and comment on how going to preschool has had an impact on their lives. Here's what the house moms had to say:

"J.H. has a bright and charming personality. He is playful and generally healthy. He has a lot of curiosity, shows a few signs of greediness and is also surprisingly easily scared. Going to preschool has helped J.H. meet a lot of new friends his age, and he is no longer bored. He has been able to have a lot of new experiences and is also learning life skills and rules, which are helpful for his development. J.H. especially likes music and dancing. He is also a good eater and likes to copy what his older house brothers do, mimicing their actions. I'm very thankful to KKOOM's supporters for giving J.H. the opportunity to attend preschool."

"S.H. is introverted, but he is also bright and kind. S.H. was neglected prior to coming to our home, and unfortunately, he still shows signs of that abuse. However, attending preschool has helped him get better. For instance, S.H. had severe separation anxiety, but going to preschool has helped him get used to others and make friends with other toddlers his age.  He also suffered from a lack of affection prior to coming to our home, but attending preschool has helped him by receing a lot of attention from his teachers and other friends there. When he is with his other house brothers, S.H. is docile and likes to play. He especially likes looking at picture books with animals and foods. He also likes music and singing songs. I can honestly say that S.H. has improved quite a bit by the opportunity KKOOM has given him to go to preschool, and I think he will continue to do even better in the future. Thank you."

As you can see, your support is making a lasting impact on the these two children's lives by enabling them to attend preschool two years earlier than they would otherwise be able to go. We hope that you will consider continuing to support our work in the future so we can help even more toddlers gain access to early childhood educational opportunities.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions about our work. Thank you.

Links:

• KKOOM Website