The heartwarming reason a factory visit is so special for these preschoolers

There’s so much that’s different about OneSky’s Early Learning Center in Da Nang, Vietnam, but one detail truly sets it apart.

The center was set up specifically for the children of rural migrants working in the surrounding factory zone. Parents of the children have all moved from countryside to city, looking for work so they can provide for their families. Across Vietnam, 60 percent of all factory workers are rural migrants.

But having found work, many soon realize reliable childcare is hard to find—and that’s where OneSky’s Early Learning Center (ELC) and training programs have stepped in to help.

This week more than one hundred of the ELC’s older kids – aged three to six – got to see for themselves the kind of place where Mom and Dad work so hard. Teachers took them on a field trip to a nearby factory so they had a better understanding of what their parents do all day.

“Factories play a major part in their lives. It’s where their parents go six days a week,” said Vo Thi Hien OneSky Vietnam Program Director. “This is why they come home tired. Earning an income helps pay for the food they eat and the clothes they wear. You could see the children taking in so much on their trip.

“The Early Learning Center is providing the best possible start for these children. It also gives parents peace of mind. As the center has become more established it has also grown a community of factory workers who provide their own mutual support, somewhere children and parents can spend time together. We welcome parents to spend time using our facilities with their children.”

With places at the ELC limited, most local working parents have to rely on home-based caregivers. So, as part of the ELC pilot, OneSky also provides training for women running these facilities.