I was very excited at the prospect of making contact with professionals outside of the United States to discuss the field of Early Childhood Education – sort of professional pen pals. Unfortunately, this process has not proceeded as quickly as I had hoped. I had received a name of a first grade teacher in Thailand who said she would be willing to communicate with me, but I have yet to hear from her. I had contacted the leader of an organization in Germany similar to NAEYC for possible contacts there during the first week of class; I heard back from her this week, she gave me a couple of names of professionals to try. So….while I wait and see if I hear from anyone, I decided to explore the website for Save Our Children.

     Save Our Children is probably best known for its commercials depicting starving children in Africa. Many people might be surprised to know that they have programs in 120 countries and the United States. Although much of their efforts are spent on fighting malnutrition and disease, they also incorporate programs aimed at fighting poverty and lack of education, as well as disaster relief. While reading through their materials, I discovered that the majority of their efforts in the country of Nepal center on education – specifically early childhood development and primary education. The number of children provided an education as a result of these efforts in 2013 was an impressive 782,720 (Save Our Children). It is encouraging to see organizations such as this recognize that, although there are dire situations endangering the lives of children in the world today, there are also situations – such as a good education – that will affect their entire lives.

Save the Children: A U.S. based non-profit organization working on behalf of children worldwide.
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm