Volunteer with Children

Early Childhood Education programme in Dawasamu

Cheryl Martin

Posted: August 27, 2020

Early Learning

Early learning is the primary development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation interests for lifelong learning, health and wellbeing.

With the support from the team of volunteers, community health workers and many important members of the Fijian communities, volunteers have helped children aged 2-5 develop social skills with their peers; encouraged the development of fine motor and sensory skills through games and activities, including intrapersonal activities such as painting and interpersonal activities such as team games.

Children at a young age learn to foster language development and vocabulary skills through storytelling and creating conversations with peers and adults. Volunteers are also given the task to assist children to cope with problem solving among peers and groups.

How volunteers can help

Volunteers are involved in all aspects of creating a learning space for the young individuals who participate in the early childhood development program.

Volunteers are given the opportunity to create their own activities and themes for the classes. In 2020, Volunteers taught children about healthy eating, physical education, health, colours and numbers which all have important prime qualities to their future learning.

Each session has a core focus on the following, playing and exploring; active learning; creating and critical thinking.

Volunteers are given the chance to work alongside community members including local interns and community partners, whose key roles are to assist in translation, support their own local communities, building connections between volunteers and the Fijian community members, and become a role model for their younger peers.