J352N South Pacific Preschools (General Account)

The Situation

An achievable way to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development is through providing quality early learning education for preschool children in order to create a foundation for ongoing learning, which will assist in eventual employment. This is the emphasis and basis for the Bethel Crusade Preschool program in Fiji. The preschool program began in Suva in 1994 with nine children. The program has expanded to reach a total of eight preschools located in Suva, Savusavu (Buca), Labasa, Lakena (Nasouri), Sigatoka, Daku, Nacavanadi and Koro Island. Since 1996 approximately 3,000 children have been through and graduated from the preschools.

The Objective

The major objective of J352N is to have eight fully functioning preschools complete with facilities that meet government and OHS standards, trained and certified teachers, and sewing courses to empower mothers and other women in the preschool communities.

The project has three primary goals:

1. Establish and upgrade preschool facilities to meet government and OHS standards. The outcome is to have fully functioning sanitary toilet facilities and a safe learning environment in every preschool by the end of 2023.
2. Construct and upgrade playground facilities to meet government and OHS standards. The outcome is to have a fully functioning fenced playground in every preschool by the end of 2023.
3. Improve quality of education and management of the preschools through enhancing teacher capacity. The outcome is for preschool teachers to be professionally equipped to run preschools and deliver quality education.