When I was little, I never imagined I would one day become a teacher or a nursery teacher – even though my mother was a wonderful teacher and spoke of her pupils with great warmth. My own path initially took me in a completely different direction: I became an engineer. It was only through my own children that I came into contact with Waldorf education and Anthroposophy, and this encounter changed my life profoundly.
After a one-year placement in a Waldorf nursery, I decided to complete the Waldorf nursery teacher training course in Stuttgart from 2000 to 2003. With this training, I returned to Georgia and began working with great enthusiasm at Tbilisi’s first Waldorf kindergarten. Very quickly, however, it became clear that there was not enough space for all the families who were interested. We often had to turn parents and children away – it pained me every time I thought of how formative these early years are for a child and how much rejection like that could influence their future.
Together with friends, I thought long and hard about opening a second kindergarten, but there seemed to be many obstacles in the way. A decisive turning point came with a visit from Nana Göbel of the Friends of Waldorf Education, who told us very emphatically: “You think more than you act.” This sentence gave us courage, and in 2017 we took the plunge, rented premises and opened our new kindergarten, initially with 50 children.
The years that followed were not easy. The coronavirus pandemic hit us hard, but thanks to the tireless efforts of our team, we managed to save the nursery. At the same time, we organised our own training seminars to train new nursery staff and teachers. When our first children reached school age, we decided to open our first class in 2020. We moved to larger premises, which despite a lovely courtyard, was in considerable need of renovation. In just two months, by joining forces, we achieved a small miracle: our state-approved school started with 15 children, and we were soon looking after 75 in the kindergarten.
Today, we have 12 nursery teachers on our staff, all of whom we have trained ourselves. In total, we look after 75 kindergarten children and 73 schoolchildren up to Year 5. Many parents know little about Waldorf education at first. Yet they are looking for a place where their children can grow up in a nurturing environment, free from media overload, and in harmony with body, soul and spirit. They find that place here with us. The children love coming in the mornings – and in the evenings they often don’t want to leave at all. The beaming faces of the parents and their gratitude are a great source of happiness for me.
Everything we have achieved so far has been through our own efforts and with the help of private loans – despite the economically and politically challenging situation in Georgia. We continue on our path with confidence and are grateful for every bit of support.
Nana Gvinjilia