Early education for Korean toddlers

by Korean Kids and Orphanage Outreach Mission

Project Report | Sep 11, 2018
Interview with HyungJun's House Mom - Fall 2018

By Grace Lee | Chief Administrator

HyungJun w/ his house mom during the camping trip

Last summer, a new orphan child named HyungJun arrived in July 2017. Being one years old (two years old in Korean age), he was underdeveloped physically for an average child at his age. Within the first three months of being nourished at Samsungwon Orphanage, his first teeth came through.

After living at the orphanage for one full year, HyungJun is physically healthy at two years old (three years old in Korean age) and just experienced his first annual summer trip with the Samsungwon children. In the photo above, HyungJun’s house mom is holding him in between water splashing at the camping trip. We recently asked his house mom to answer a few questions about how HyungJun is doing and if he enjoys preschool. You can read her answers translated in English below.

Please describe your child’s personality.

HyungJun is shy with unfamiliar people, but he’s opened up more compared to last year. He likes to play outside and is very active.

What effect does the preschool education have on HyungJun? How has it influenced him?

Going to preschool helps him develop socially through his peers and toddler play time.

What are your child’s strength and talents?

I do not know very well yet, but when music comes out, he enjoys to dance, and playing ball with the kick-board is good.

Please leave any other comments.

Thank you for helping HyunJun through his dreams.

After traveling to South Korea twice for KKOOM activities, I have seen first-hand the joy HyunJun carries around him when he hears music playing. Your kind generosity helps him succeed in different facets of his life. Thank you for playing a part in supporting HyungJun to grow academically, physically, mentally, and musically through some dancing beats.

We appreciate what you do to improve HyunJun’s life every single day. Getting HyungJun one step closer to achieving his dreams is possible thanks to you.

With gratitude,

Grace Lee, Chief Administrator

#Throwback - HyungJun last year in July 2017

Links:

Permalink

Jun 15, 2018
Interview with HyungJun, Preschool Scholar

By Grace Lee | Chief Administrator

"I love playing with toy cars"

In July 2017, HyungJun arrived to Samswungwon Orphanage when he was 11 months old. Now he’s almost 2 years old, and he’s enjoyed being the youngest child at the orphanage in Gumi, South Korea. Thanks to KKOOM supporters, HyungJun is also thriving in preschool.

For this update, we wanted to ask him some questions to get to know him better. Here are HyungJun’s answers to the questions we posed to him (full disclosure: his house mom helped him answer!)

What do you like to do the most?

"I like to play outside and I like to play various games such as dolls."

What is your favorite food? What food don’t you like?

"I like all food! I especially like fruits such as oranges, strawberries, grapes, and bananas."

Describe your personality.

"I am very active but a bit stubborn."

What is your biggest change or improvement since coming to Samsungwon?? His health, becoming less shy

"When I first came in July 2017, I was underweight. But now, I’m maintaining a normal weight for a toddler my age. My overall physical development is similar now to my peers."

What do you like to learn and do?

"I like to go to preschool and play games that are age appropriate for my age group."

HyungJun loves playing with toys, whether it’s a toy car, or Beyblade spinners (picture of him in the red bucket below). He’s hoping to hit the jackpot looking for treasure in the sandbox at Samsungwon Orphanage. Playing doctor with the other children is something he enjoys. We’ll take a wild guess that he loves spaghetti too. Lastly, he’s curiously checking out the photos in his book along with the other toddlers at preschool.

HyungJun weighed just 16 pounds when he came to Samsungwon a year ago, and now, he is a healthy baby surrounded by a positive loving environment thanks to the staff and other children in his orphanage family. Although it’s a non-traditional environment, we’re happy to report that he has the stability, love, and care he needs to have a brighter future than he had prior to coming to the orphanage.

We thank you for investing in HyungJun to help him get an early start to his education by supporting our preschool scholarship program. KKOOM is grateful for your generosity! Let’s continue improving the lives of South Korean orphans together.

Sincerely,

Grace Lee

Chief Administrator

"I enjoy spinning Beyblade Tops"

"Found the lucky treasure!"

"The Doctor is here. How can I help you?"

"Yummy!"

"Reading is so much fun."

Links:

Permalink

Mar 20, 2018
Winter 2017 - Thriving in a positive environment

By Grace Lee | Chief Administrator

HyungJun enjoying his new toy car from Christmas

When KKOOM’s Chief Administrator traveled to South Korea in December 2017 to plan our annual Christmas parties at Samsungwon Orphanage and Emmanuel Children’s Home, she was most excited to meet the children. Leading up to this trip, the only thing she knew about them were information submitted in applications by their house mothers and photos of the children. Since her winter 2017 travels was her first business trip to Korea as Chief Administrator, she highly anticipated spending quality time at the orphanages.

The week of the Christmas party for 54 children at Samsungwon Orphanage, Grace spent time playing with the children in their individual homes, including our preschool scholar, HyungJun. HyungJun is 19 months old and arrived at Samsungwon in July 2018, weighing about 5 pounds below the average weight of a one year old. He is now thriving in a positive environment.

He loves to shake, shake, shake as he dances to music beats. There was pure joy on his face as he moved up and down to the music, while simultaneously clapping (the boy has rhythm!) Being shy is a part of his personality trait. Typically the only people he allows to hold him is his house mom and the boys who live in the same home. By the second day at the orphanage, Grace was able to hold HyungJun; the staff and his house mom said it was a breakthrough to see him opening up to an unfamiliar face in such a short time.

Although he had a cold during Grace’s visit (it was peak season for the flu), he was in good spirits. He rested peacefully as his house mom held him. While he did shed some crying tears when he received his Christmas gift from Santa, we absolutely love the photo of him on his new toy car that was purchased by our Chief Administrator sponsoring his wish list item through her personal expenses.

HyungJun is dearly loved at Samsungwon Orphanage. The older boys in his home take care of him with strong responsibility, greeting him immediately as they came home from school and wanting to hold him.

Without you, KKOOM could not send HyungJun to preschool. Thank you very much for helping to enrich his life. You play a direct role in supporting his education. As he continues to be supported at the orphanage by staff, house moms, and the other children at Samsungwon, we are grateful you are investing in the lives of toddlers like HyungJun.

With gratitude,

Grace Lee, Chief Administrator

HyungJun is loved at Samsungwon (youngest child).

Permalink

‹ 1 ... 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.