New classrooms open for Bahnar preschoolers in central Vietnam

After studying in a shared gymnasium, 70 preschool children in Ayun Commune in Gia Lai Province in central Vietnam now have two new classrooms.

Ayun Preschool inaugurated two new classrooms for 4- and 5-year-old children on Sept. 25. The project was funded by Hope Foundation in partnership with Vietnam USA Society English Centers (VUS).

A shortage of classrooms had previously forced several kindergarten classes to study at a temporary site about 2 kilometers from the main school. After the former Dak Jo Ta Kindergarten was merged into Ayun Preschool, the classes were moved to the school's gymnasium.

The open space, lack of partitions and limited equipment made teaching and caring for boarding children more difficult.

Principal Do Thi Hong Dinh said most of the students are Bahnar ethnic children. The two classrooms, covering nearly 150 square meters, were completed after three months of construction in line with Ministry of Education and Training standards.

"The new facilities have permanently resolved the temporary learning situation and provided a safe space for the children to play and develop appropriately for their age," she said.

The two classrooms at the main campus cost VND900 million (US$34,600). The project also included renovations at the satellite sites of Dek Jieng and De Bo Tuk.

Hope Foundation, sponsor and Ayun Preschool representatives cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new classrooms.

During the inauguration, volunteers distributed 270 Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to all students and provided assistance to several disadvantaged local families.

Duong Thi Quynh Trang, VUS human resources and administration director, said school upgrades in highland areas were part of the organization's long-term efforts to expand access to education for children from disadvantaged families.

Since 2020, VUS staff and teachers have supported the construction and renovation of 14 school sites nationwide, she said.

The Gia Lai project is part of Hope Foundation's "School of Sunshine" program, which has operated since 2018. Over eight years, the program has built and renovated more than 700 school sites in remote areas, benefiting hundreds of thousands of students and teachers.