21 December 2018 — On the afternoon of 21st December 2018, members of our team and friends of Olive Tree Estates volunteered to support a Christmas event held in HOPE Kindergarten, a school within one of the social housing estates in Ho Chi Minh City.
Since the festivities of Christmas were soon approaching, our team aimed to bring joy to the children by supporting the kindergarten teachers, and making the Christmas event a successful and memorable one.
Art and Craft Sessions
For the art and craft session, the children were split into three groups according to their ages. Whilst the kindergarten teachers taught the children how to make the crafts, our team supported the teachers by providing guidance to the children who struggled with some steps. This helped the teachers and children enjoy themselves as the craft activities progressed smoothly.
By the end of the arts and crafts session, the children were very pleased with their colourful creations, and proudly displayed them to teachers, friends and team members.
Puppet Show
After the art and craft sessions, we moved on to the main event – a half-hour puppet show put on just for the children. Some of the team members were involved in the puppet show, and worked hard to support it and bring joy to the children. Nearly two hours prior, team members painstakingly rehearsed backstage work scene by scene, striving to perfect each detail of execution. After much preparation, everyone was finally satisfied with the performance, and were ready for the children to watch and enjoy.
Soon after, the children began settling within the main hall for the main event, the hall packed with both students and teachers. Thanks to the hard work put in by both staff and team members, we managed to captivate and enthrall our audience, earning smiles and laughter.
Christmas Carols for the Children
To conclude the Christmas event, we sang Christmas carols with the children. As the kindergarten teachers and some of our friends sang Christmas carols together, many of the children were singing and clapping along with us, beaming with smiles.
In the spirit of Christmas cheer, we continued singing together after the event, as relatives came to bring the children home. Some children enjoyed themselves so much that they stayed on to play at the courts outside the school before heading home.
Though seemingly simple, this Christmas event brought joy to more than 40 children in the kindergarten at the social housing estate, a powerful reflection of our company’s mission to bring real impact to the lives of the masses. It was indeed heart-warming, seeing the children return home with joyful hearts and gladness.
