Meet Toan
Little Toan has come a long way since he first began attending the OneSky Early Learning Center (ELC) in Da Nang, Vietnam, in September 2019.
His mother, Lien, 38, is a single mom from Nghe An, a rural province over 630 km away, who came to Da Nang to work in a factory. With no extended family nearby to help care for Toan, his acceptance into the ELC enabled Lien to work worry-free, knowing he was being well looked after.
When Toan arrived at the center two years ago, he was the youngest child enrolled and was barely able to sit up. Now he is a healthy and cheerful boy who delights everyone in his community of care (from his mom to his teachers and other ELC staff members).
Lien often works late shifts at the factory and, even when Toan is the last child collected at the end of the day, he still has a smile on his face! All because there are always loving OneSky caregivers on hand to keep him company until his mother arrives.
Toan’s teacher, Van, has known him since he arrived at the ELC. Van recalled that the little boy was timid at first, always needing someone to hold him when he first joined the center. But after only a few months, Toan smiled more and gained the confidence to explore the world around him.
“Toan can now feed himself and he loves music and playing with blocks. He is still very affectionate but he’s much more confident and not afraid to explore by himself. Because Toan and his mom live in a small, rented apartment, he loves being outdoors in the spacious garden at the ELC. And, since he often stays late, this has been his second home.
“Watching him grow, seeing his first steps, first time talking, has been very special. Knowing that he and his mother have been helped by OneSky has made my work so much more meaningful and makes me love my job more than ever,” said Van.
