Author: Yang Chunbo, project manager of Tengchong POF project

"Our village" is the monthly theme of the preschool project in March.

You'll wonder how to know more about a place where you live every day. Village, is the children's paradise of play, and the harbor where parents protect.

But what kind of story is hidden in the exfoliated soil foundation wall of the low buildings? What is planted in the garden in spring, summer, autumn and winter? Why are there some cement roads and other dirt roads at the door of the houses? What's else besides the houses arranged in a staggered way?... Do you really know about these?

Unexpectedly, the teachers all tried their best in the monthly theme activities, bringing the children to know their own villages from different aspects.

Minzhen Preschool: listening to the aged tell stories

"Although there were schools in the village when I was young, there were no pre-school classes and kindergartens. We had classes in the morning and worked in the village in the afternoon..." Many people dropped out of school in one or two month because of poverty. Now that the conditions are better than before, the government not only provides free nine-year compulsory education, but you three-year-old children can also attend preschools. "

At the village entrance of Minzhen Village, Zhonghe Town, Tengchong City, a group of children from preschools are listening to grandfather at his 70s tell stories about the village past.

Machang Preschool: Visiting Vegetable Garden

To say the most dynamic place in the village, it is necessary to talk about the vegetable gardens of each family, in which they have spinach, radish, green vegetables, coriander, shallot and fennel.

Under the guidance of the teacher, the children of Machang Preschool came to the largest vegetable garden outside the school and began to learn what the vegetables they ate every day looked like.

Huangnipo Preschool: One-day experience in tea garden

The children of Huangnipo Preschool went to a large tea garden. Tea is one of the local cash crops. Although it is planted in every household, this is the first time for children to know tea specially.

With the demonstration and guidance of tea farmers, we experienced how to pick tea buds correctly. On the same day, the local tea farmers also specially introduced the growth of tea trees, the use and production of tea, and the efficacy of tea to the children.

Through touching, smelling and observing in the fresh, the children felt the charm of the tea garden.

Cunjiazhai preschool: “building” our village

Where the houses are, where the rivers are, where lanes are, the children know perfectly well what the village looks like.The children in Cunjiazhai Preschool were building a small Cunjiazhai Village by Lego blocks and snowflakes.

Different from other preschools, it's really a unique way to know our village.

Laoguantu preschool: visiting our village

"Walking on the country road, the old cow returning at dusk is my companion...”The teachers and children in Laoguantu Preschool walked around the village and drew what they saw.

Huangnipo Preschool: singing nursery rhymes in dialect

Our village has its own language, which is a unique sound, very special and pleasant to hear. Huangnipo's teacher took the children on the playground and sang the nursery rhymes that had been circulating in the village in dialect.

"Go, go, go, let's go east. Where are we going to?

Go to Amy's house in the east. Is Amy at home?

She is.

What do we do at home together?

Skipping rope.

Go, go, go, let's go west. Where are we going to?

Go to Xiaodong's house in the east. Is Xiaodong at home?

..."

"Wax gourd peel, watermelon peel, no cheating.

You sing when being asked, don't be shilly-shally."

Our village is fairly different. There are yellow dogs as gatekeepers, houses and pigsties, concrete roads and stone roads, earth houses and brick houses, vegetable garden and tea garden. It has a long, long history.

Project introduction:

Funded by Tin Ka Ping Foundation, Project of the Preschool of The Future in Cunjiazhai Village, Tengchong County, taking preschool education as its breakthrough point, renovated idle houses and used them as classrooms to organize non-profit preschools in the village. Parents recruit and train local young people with a junior high school degree or above to become qualified preschool teachers. The curriculum revolves around knowledge of nature, animals, nutrition, health, as well as how to express themselves through art and music. Classes with different ages, ensure children aged 3-6 to make full preparations for primary school. At the same time, the local community was organized to establish a parent committee to participate in the management of the preschool. Through accompanied by preschool teachers and children of the same age, left-behind children can grow up with physical and mental health, narrow the gap of preschool education between rich and poor areas, and break the vicious cycle of intergenerational transmission of poverty.

The project is supported by Tin Ka Ping Foundation.

The article only represents the author's personal views, and is not related to the funder.