Project Salva Dor: Annual report 2009
On the 2nd of July 1999, ten years ago, the Associação Educacional Salva Dor was founded. This day is a public holiday in Bahia: On the 2nd of July 1823, after two years of fighting, the inhabitants of this state achieved independence from Portugal. Directly afterwards, the decision was made to become a province in the empire of Brazil, which was at that point in the process of formation. With the energy of this historical liberation the Project Salva Dor began its work!
We work in Sao Lázaro, one of the hundreds of Favelas in Salvador. Salvador is a city with a population of three million people and great social inequality. As former centre of the Brazilian slave trade, it is not surprising that almost all the slum inhabitants are of African origin.
For the past seven years we have been working in our own building. Here we look after 60 children between 2 and 6 years old on a daily basis. They all come from very poor families. The children are divided into the following groups: a toddlers group with 12 children (2-3 years old), two kindergarten groups with 12 and 16 children (3-6 years old) and two groups of school children with 10 children each (7-11 years old), who come together in the mornings and afternoons supplementary to the normal lessons at school. In the second half of the year there is also a theatre club for 11 – 18 year olds, which meets three times a week.
Part of our work is the regular parent evenings, where the parents have the opportunity to sing together and be creative. We also inform them about the development of their children and we discuss topics such as media, hygiene etc.
At the moment five of our co-workers are taking part in a Waldorf seminar. This is incredibly valuable for their personal development and professional competence. To them a foundation in anthroposophy is no longer merely an abstract pedagogical idea, but rather a part of their own lives, which flows into their work with the children in an ever more authentic fashion.
Space for the children is severely lacking and we have not yet managed to solve this problem. We have begun negotiations with the Software AG Foundation and hope to be able to tackle the very important extensions this year or at the beginning of 2010.
Bazaars and volunteers
We are very grateful for the opportunity, which we have now had for several years, to sell our craftwork at winter markets and summer fairs at various Waldorf schools. With the help of voluntary co-workers in Germany we are able to sell the dolls, pencil bags, accessories etc, which we make in our project. These products can also be ordered over our website. Thanks to the support of a German volunteer, who is spending a year studying in Brazil and the great effort of our teachers and co-workers, we are able to create beautiful products and by selling them in Europe we make good profit.
Since the beginning of this year our project is a partner in the voluntary service programme “Weltwärts”. This programme makes it possible for young people from Germany to spend a year doing voluntary service in a developing country. The contact with these highly motivated young people is not only a source of joy for us, but also a great help for the work with the children. The programme is organized by the Friends of Waldorf Education and the Federal Ministry of economic cooperation and development.Since September we have two 19 year old volunteers here. They will work here for one year. It makes us very happy to see that other people want to become active as volunteers in our project. One of our former volunteers has built up a network of donors and took part in “Waldorf- One World Day” with great success for our project.
Finances
This year all our expenses were covered solely by donations. In the course of the year we were able to prepare all the documents necessary in order to receive financial support from the city government. We therefore reckoned with the fact that a significant sum would be granted. Unfortunately, we were only informed at the last minute that this is only possible when the project is registered in the state register for social organizations. We immediately tried to do so, but the process takes at least 30 days, making it impossible for us to meet the deadline. So we are now solely dependent on donations for 2010. You can imagine that under such circumstances every bit of help is of great value!
Every year it is a source of joy to submit our annual report. In this way we can look back on a year of important work with many small and big successes and at the same time look forward with hope to the coming year, in which the laughter of children, open hearts, trust and love will fill the rooms of Projeto Salva Dor. In this sense, 2010 comes towards us and is awaited with open arms. Best wishes to you!
Vivian Fraenkel
To top Update: 12/2009