Work recently started on the international-standard OneSky care centre and kindergarten in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District which will cost 3.8 million USD.  Of this, 3.4 million USD is being funded by the US-based Half the Sky Foundation, whilst the remainder will come from the city’s budget.

The ground breaking ceremony (Photo: http://ictdanang.vn)

Covering 3,800m² in the Hong Phuoc residential area of the district’s Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, the 2-storey centre will offer day care services for local disadvantaged children, and those of workers at the Hoa Khanh Industrial Park (IP).  To be eligible, a child must be aged between 6 months and 6 years, and the monthly tuition fee is likely to be around 800,000 VND.

The project will feature 17 self-contained classrooms, plus other multi-purpose rooms for physical and fine arts education, healthcare and laundry services, and a capacious kitchen and warehouse.

Apart from funding most of the construction of the new centre, the US agency will also provide international-standard training courses in childcare for over 5,500 local pre-school teachers and carers.

Municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung remarked that the construction of the centre will help to satisfy the increasing demand for day-care services, especially for children of the workers in the Hoa Khanh IP.  The children will have access to a safe and healthy learning environment to promote their comprehensive development during their early years.

Vice Chairman Dung also hoped that such a meaningful model of educational establishment would be repeated in other local areas.