First Government Preschool Opens in Kolonga

The first-ever government preschool opened this week in Kolonga. In 2013, the Education Act was amended to mandate compulsory school beginning at age 4. The Ministry of Education has not been in compliance; therefore, they needed to begin providing education free for these young children.

Establishment of these preschools is a milestone for the Ministry. Government preschools will be a realization of dreams and visions made by previous Ministers. It will create access to children who cannot afford to be at preschool due to remoteness or financial constraints. 

  

LDS Charities was asked to provide furniture and books The tables we had were plain normal blond in color. We wanted something more exciting to match the theme of the classroom. So we got busy and painted the tables ... red, blue, yellow, and green.

Sila Pangai,Tevita Asi, PTA parent, and Tevita Makihele building garden

We also partnered with Health Promotions and Ministry of Health in redirecting health promotion approaches toward young children to improve health knowledge, attitude, and behavior in children by promoting healthy eating and physical activity at early childhood education centers (ECEC) and also to increase access to healthy food and water.  As such, we are building vegetable gardens. Liahona Farm is helping with building the keyhole gardens. 

We also are providing countertop gas cook stove, pots and pans to cook and eat the food grown in the gardens to encourage healthy eating at school. 

We provide a water tank to enable drinking water rather than sugary drinks – preschool is to be a no sugar zone. 

We have supplied equipment to promote physical activity - jumping balls, trampolines, slide, teeter-totter/walkboard. The government built a sand area with shade sail, swings, and tire mountain.

 

Kids love climbing to the top and also crawling through tires

We had so much fun visiting the preschool this week. The children were out at playtime.

We showed them how the teeter-totter works and showed the teacher how it can be changed to a walker board. The children then walked up the board and jumped off the end. I think they really liked that.

Next we went indoors where a few students were at the tables. We found an unopened box -- It was the missing trampoline! so Elder Thomson had much help putting it together.
We will be returning for another more structured playday. We plan to make an obstacle course and use the balls and hula hoops to jump/throw balls through, use the slide, and just have fun! We will probably cook a soup as well.    







We are the Lord’s hands upon the earth with the mandate to lift and serve His children.                         

                                                                    Thomas S Monson