Home: Freunde Waldorf

“Usually our children don’t get breakfast at home”

Salvador is one of the poorest cities in Brazil. In the  midst of this poverty, the Projeto Salva Dor offers a supplementary program of Waldorf educational activities before and after school for about 50 children. Here, children between the ages of five and ten, meet daily to overcome the difficulties of a largely chaotic school life. They are often taught in overcrowded classes using authoritarian methods. At the Projeto Salva Dor, one group of children comes in the mornings and then goes to the schools in the surrounding districts in the afternoons, and another group, who has lessons in the mornings, comes in the afternoons. The children receive breakfast, a warm lunch, and a snack in the afternoon. Fabiana Naka from Projeto Salva Dor explains in an e-mail interview why these three meals are particularly important for the children.

Why is it important for the children to be provided with food at Projeto Salva Dor?
Our children usually don't get breakfast at home in the morning. Not because they have no time or don’t want to eat, but because they don’t receive one from their parents. That is why it is particularly important for them to get something to eat at the Projeto. By preparing the food together, distributing it, and singing before the meal and also through the fact that there is no television and no adult conversations at the table, the children learn to appreciate the meals. The rhythm of regular meals and the associated ceremony are just as important as good and healthy food. We try very hard to provide the children with the most nutritious food possible, even if it is not easy financially.

How many children do you feed at Projeto Salva Dor?
There are 50 children every day. But there are also teachers and other staff.

How many meals does Projeto Salva Dor provide per day?
Three: breakfast, lunch and, in the afternoon, soup or bread with fruits.

How much does it cost to feed a child per day so that he/she is optimally cared for?
About five euros.

Which contribution can parents make to the children's food?
All parents pay a total of around 250 euros per month for meals and school materials – that makes about 5 euros per child per month. That is very little, but it is what the parents can afford, given that many of them are unemployed, work as cleaners, or are single parents. Instead they help in the kitchen and do little repair jobs around the house. They also actively support us on holidays.

What support does Projeto Salva Dor need in order to provide the children with the best possible care?
To buy wholegrain rice, wholemeal flour, fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, milk, yoghurt and muesli, we would need about 30 euros per child per month, a total of about 1,500 euros.

Donation account:

Freunde der Erziehungskunst
GLS Bank Bochum
IBAN: DE47 4306 0967 0013 0420 10
BIC: GENODEM1GLS

Keyword: School meals

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