“Every child has the right to learn.” This is the dream of the leadership at Rainbow Kinder in Hanoi. The dream was realized in September 2014 with the opening of the very first class at Hanoi Social Sponsor 3 (SS3 Orphanage). It started with ten 4 to 5-year-old children who had never been exposed to life outside the walls of their orphanage, and within a year, those children were speaking up, asking questions, and playing and learning through hands-on projects. In 2017 the program expanded to a 2nd class, Rainbow Nursery, for children ages 2+ to prepare for kindergarten and arrive with mastery of some basic life skills. In the 10 years since its inception Rainbow Kindergarten has served 65 children, equipping them with important skills to be ready to start 1st grade.

Children in the Rainbow Nursery attend class each morning from Monday to Friday and learn both academic and life skills: from science and math to music and washing hands, these children are getting ready for school! The nursery students also have a monthly outing to visit bookstores, supermarkets, or the park. In 2020, the nursery children received swimming lessons once a week during the summer to equip them with water safety skills with a side of fun. 

Children at Rainbow Kinder also attend class each morning from Monday to Friday, but with a greater emphasis on schoolwork such as Science, Math, Stories, Music, Dance, P.E., Vietnamese, and English. The children particularly enjoy having outside time to play, as well as their “corner activities,” where each student can freely explore their own interests. 

One of the preschool teachers, Nhàn, shared with the GVI Vietnam team that while the early days of the Rainbow Kinder were not easy and there was much to learn along the way, that investment of time and care was well worth it. She shared that, “Every time I come to class, what touches my heart is seeing the children smile, looking into their innocent eyes, watching them enjoy coming to school and participating in classroom activities. This makes me love them and my job even more.” Nhàn recently had the opportunity to meet the first batch of students again to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the school, and those students are now in high school. These young adults are well on the road to success in no small part due to the early education they received from Nhàn and the other teachers at Rainbow Kinder. 

With ongoing support from GVI, Rainbow Kinder helps support these children not only through their academic development and readiness for school, but also through social and emotional learning as they participate in outings, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and get the opportunity to experience life outside of their orphanage in ways that would not otherwise be possible. The Vietnam GVI Team reports:

“the students’ radiant smiles reminded us of how God used these classrooms to transform fear into love, shame into confidence, and sorrow into joy. Your investment has made such a big change in those lives.”

The work at Rainbow Kinder is one way that GVI lives out creative compassion in Jesus’ name. Check out ways to partner with us here.