Three hundred and sixty-one children who participated in a model kindergarten facility created at the Ulaanbaatar Mental Hospital by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency office in Mongolia have been able to return to their families and schools.

According to a report issued in July at the conclusion of the one-year program, ADRA Mongolia established the kindergarten facility in order to demonstrate how a hospital can provide basic education and learning stimulation for children admitted for medical treatment. The children’s medical conditions included learning disabilities, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, depression, behavior problems, and physical challenges such as loss of eyesight or hearing.

“According to nurses asked to evaluate this project, there is a marked change in the patients as the children are encouraged to explore their individual talents,” says Michelle Lewis, education coordinator for ADRA Mongolia. “The fine and gross motor skills of all participants greatly improved over relatively short periods of time. Many children did not know their alphabet, numbers, shapes, or colors before they came to the hospital. Learning these in our kindergarten makes it much easier for them to go to school upon their return to their families.”