About dancing penguins and their hopes for the future

Yesterday, on the second day of the IWitness trip, we visited early childhood development (ECD) centre PAUD BINA PUTRA III in Leuwiliang, in the mountains west of Bogor.

To honour us, the children prepared a song and crafted some paper flowers as a welcome gift. Then, we danced the “penguin dance” together. At 37°C it made us sweat quite a bit!
This particular ECD Centre is funded privately as well as by the community of Leuwiliang, which has only received limited support from the government until now. This project is among 100 ECD Centres in the district that will potentially be supported by UNICEF in the coming years.

During a little snack with the caregivers, we got more information on the facts and situation around the establishment. At the moment 22 kids from three to six years old are being supported by four teachers. The mothers are helping, too.
The centre is located in the private home of its owner, Dela Busih (fourth from left). There are no other alternatives.

After a while, more and more people from the village came to watch and meet us. In the coming years, UNICEF and the IKEA Foundation will potentially support the centre with training and consultation. The headmaster says this kind of support can make a significant change for the centre, as UNICEF is known for having great experience at enabling teachers and caregivers.
They are a great hope for the future of this centre and the whole community.



