BY REBECCA MACKIN
IVY Karebule one of our local woman, who hails from Western and Isabel Province is one of our few women with a big heart in developing and helping our young children in their early stages in education.
Ivy comes from a family of five with two sisters and two brothers, she is the youngest in her family. Speaking to Solomon’s Women Ivy told her Story.
Ivy’s has a profession in Business and Finance, she was graduated at the Solomon Islands College of High Education now known as Solomon Islands National University.
Interestingly after graduating her brother insisted that she should take up early child hood.
“My brother’s dream is to see our children at their early stages know how to read and write,” says Ivy.
“His greatest concern was because most of our children continue to face reading and writing problems. A real situation faced by many in my village in Kia, Isabel province.
“From there on my brother insisted that I should take up Early Childhood Courses and he’s willing to pay for. I agreed and then I was sent to take up the ECE Course in Australia for 3 months.
“After completing the courses I came back and took up an accounting job instead.
“My brother was very concerned about helping my village and requested me to go down to Isabel and start the kindergarten class as planned. Upon that request I was still unsure but after thinking about it, I made up my mind to go home.
“At home we started the kindergarten which I had a lot of positive outcome especially from the people in Kia Village. I gathered a number of students’ ages between 5 and 6. Despite of no funding from the Government or NGO’s, my brother and I kept the school going with little money that he had.
“The challenges I faced is not having any money to support my work and survival. So, what my brother and I did was asking the children’s parents to bring us food since the classes were done voluntarily. It was during those challenging times that I trained my cousin sister to assist me.
“For 2 years the kindergarten has been operating progressively although my brother went to Australia to take up further studies on his job.
“It was on the third year that my brother passed away while studying overseas.
“From that moment the people in my village seem to have no interest in the kindergarten classes that we’ve started and I felt that I couldn’t go on. The only person who usually and is always around to encourage me is my brother but now that’s he’s gone, I just couldn’t do it by myself. So, I decided to leave and find a job in town. Before leaving I assisted my students who were eligible for primary, and helping enrolled them to do primary level.
“From there, I then left my work to my assistant and told her to continue on with the program.
“I came to town and took up a job in accounting and finally I met my husband, we got married and I later gave birth to my daughter. I continued to work until the beginning of last year, I took my redundancy and in that same year my husband went overseas for further studies.
“Facing the challenges without a job forced me to the idea of running a small class on ECE.
“It was not an easy start. I advertised my short classes by placing posters at the Aus Mart Building that was around June last year. I got a number of calls from parents wanting to register their children and later they finally got enrolled.
“I only take a maximum of 10 students per session. I find it easier to work with that number because I want each child to really get and learn what I teach.
“There were times the demand is high but I choose not to go beyond 10.
“My charges for the sessions is affordable because the standard of living these days is high and I too, don’t want to burden parents. Normally I charge $25 per hour per child.
“Children from ages 6 – 8 have their hour of learning from 2 – 3 pm per day by taking extra classes at my house.
“I made a room available which is enough to accommodate the ten children.”
Ivy said that at the moment she is finding a place where she can increase the number of intake.
“I have plans to expand but finding space is the problem.
“I did happen to find one place but the rental fee is quite expensive and I don’t want to charge extra cost to parents with the idea to hire.
“Getting this far with my small business is a blessing indeed, I would say without my brother’s vision I wouldn’t come this far with courage.
“Now I have the heart and strong determination to carry on with my brother’s dream to educate children in their early age and make sure that when they grow up they are confident in reading and writing.
“My advice to you all parents is always have time to spend with your children especially when your children/child are in their early stages of learning ages.
“Take time to sit with them, show interest in their work especially in these three areas drawing, colouring and Letters ABC’s.
“I see it as important because some of the difficulties our children face in school today is because there is no flexibility in writing/coloring, identifying letters, numbers and pronunciation.
“So my advice is parents please always have time for your children despite your busyness either in work or other things we do. By just spending a few minutes and showing interest in their work would help them not only in their school but in the future.”
Ivy’s home is located at Lengakiki buburu where she operates her classes. Registration for her next intake is now open and will begin on the 27th of this month.
For those of you who wish to register your children simply contact Ms Ivy on her cell phone: 7691316.
