HANDS , Halimar, Aprende no Deskobre, Susesu (“Play, Learn, Discover, Succeed”) , is a pre-school education programme created by the Ministry of Education together with the Ministry of State Administration and the Government of New Zealand to expand access to quality early childhood education.
Background
Design work began in 2014, and the programme was implemented over five years from 2015 to 2020 with an investment of NZ$12 million from New Zealand. HANDS aimed to improve early childhood education for 3–5 year olds in access, quality and equity, with better learning outcomes in early literacy and numeracy.
What HANDS Delivered
- Learning materials and furniture procured and distributed to 320 pre-schools
- Training and teaching resources for pre-school educators nationwide
- Locally designed and built 150 pre-school playgrounds
- Support for 338 pre-schools reaching around 20,000 children in the first two years alone
Families as Partners
A distinctive feature of HANDS is parent and community engagement. Participating pre-schools invite parents to help teachers during classes and provide parenting education , supporting families to care for their children and to support learning at home.
Legacy
The play-based approach championed by HANDS continues to shape pre-school education in Timor-Leste, and its materials and training model inform the Ministry’s ongoing early childhood expansion with partners such as UNICEF and KOICA. The programme’s mid-term review is published by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.