He Arrived in Tears — Now He Leads Others With a Smile”: A Story From a Preschool Founded by Nodepa and Local Partners

When a small boy named Murat first arrived at a preschool founded and run by Nodepa together with local partners, he held tightly to his mother’s hand. He was three years old, walked with a pronounced limp, and had noticeable strabismus. His parents had already tried another preschool, but he cried constantly — all day, every day — until they withdrew him.

This new preschool was their last hope.

In the beginning, the staff were unsure of what to expect. The other children kept their distance. Murat avoided eye contact and often curled into himself, overwhelmed and frightened. One teacher later described those first days:

“He was like a small, scared little animal. Closed off. Afraid of everyone.”

But this preschool was built on a different foundation. Nodepa and its local partner had started it with a clear purpose: to create a place where children are met with warmth, dignity, and emotional safety. All teachers had been trained in ICDP (International Child Development Programme) — a relational, empathy-based approach that helps caregivers see and respond to each child’s emotional world.

So the team began with what they knew matters most: connection.

A warm greeting each morning.A gentle hand offered, not demanded.Soft words instead of instructions.Moments of eye contact, smiles, and reassurance.

Slowly, something began to change.

Murat looked up.Then he approached the teachers instead of hiding.Then he started watching the other children — and eventually joined them.

The turning point came the day he walked — slowly, but confidently — to a younger child who looked lost. Without being asked, Murat took the toddler’s hand and led him to the dining room.

His teachers say that from that moment, everything opened up.

“He became active, confident, even joyful,” one teacher shared.“Now he is the one who helps others. He guides the little ones, carries things, brings things. He loves to be useful.”

A child who once entered the preschool in tears now enters with purpose.A boy who once felt different now shines as a quiet leader.

This is what happens when a preschool is built not only with walls and classrooms, but with empathy, relational knowledge, and deep respect for every child’s story.

Through founding and running preschools together with local partners — and offering ICDP training to teachers and families — Nodepa is helping create safe, nurturing environments where children like Murat can grow, heal, and find their place in the world.

Because when a child is truly seen and welcomed, transformation becomes possible — one gentle, courageous step at a time.