The school is located near the town of Villa Constitución in the south of the province of Santa Fe. In the small village of Pavón, near the town, the local council wanted to sell a plot of land, which the mayor offered to the initiative free of charge – on the sole condition that a school building be erected on the site, thereby opening up educational opportunities for the whole community. “That was one of the principles we had for our project right from the start – that it should be open to everyone,” says Verónica Hernández from the Rio Dulce Waldorf School.
Part of the funds required for the school building had already been covered by contributions from parents and by commitments to provide labour from dedicated supporters. The remaining amount required for the construction of the first buildings - totalling 45,000€ - was provided by the Friends of Waldorf Education.
Construction work is now well advanced; two classrooms and two toilet facilities have already been completed, the sewage pipes connected and all necessary cables laid. Construction of a further classroom is due to begin in March this year. Recently, a sign at the school has also been put up, illustrating the vision for the building project once completed; the logo of the Friends is also clearly visible.
This initiative demonstrates that committed parents, a strong community and sound funding ideas are the best prerequisites for the realisation of such a project.
As further buildings are to be constructed in the coming years, the initiative continues to rely on donations. You can support the Rio Dulce Waldorf School in its endeavour here: