Preschool links forged

A CRANBOURNE preschool director has returned from East Timor with a different perspective on life after teaching at various preschools and schools in the impoverished country.
Judith Kierce, director at Woodbine Road Preschool, described the September school holiday trip to the Ermera district of East Timor as the most amazing experience of her life.
“The day to day experiences made this trip the most challenging, rewarding and humbling journey that I have ever had the privilege to experience.”
Woodbine Road Preschool has maintained a friendship link with the Gleno Preschool in East Timor for the last four years and Ms Kierce said it was a great opportunity to visit and see what projects had been completed and what projects were still necessary.
Ms Kierce said teachers and parents at the preschools she visited were appreciative of the help they had received from Australia.
“At present the projects have been stalled by the crisis that the country is in but in the next few months work will recommence on the toilets and the drainage situation,” she said.
A raffle will also be held before Christmas to help with projects to install a ceiling and to put louvres in the window frames.
Ms Kierce said she hoped to encourage her preschool children to “make a difference” and to appreciate how fortunate their lives were and how helping others could change lives.
“In East Timor, after their preschool day, children go up in the mountains to collect vegetables, cut fire wood, collect water, look after their younger siblings, help with dinner preparations and go to markets,” she said.
She said she would be visiting all the classes at the preschool in the next few weeks to share some of her experiences and photos with the children.
An evening will also be held at the preschool before the end of term to view photos and to hear more about the trip.