A slum an hour away from Buenos Aires. Houses (or shelter) are most often made of metal or wood, and running water is rare. The neighborhood is dangerous. The drug is omnipresent: paco. Made from residue of coca leaves. Paco is considered in Argentina as the most dangerous drug and the most addictive on the market. Far ahead of heroin and crack ... A dose sells for a peso (16 cents)
CASA DEL NIÑO - Buenos Aires
In the middle of this, a Welcome center for the neihgborhood’s children, open since nearly twenty years.
The original purpose was to provide a place where children spend the morning (public schools in Argentina are only open half day) in which they can play, eat properly and get medical care. The place is on loan from a charity.
A two floors house.
The cook prepares more than fifty meals a day, the children’s lunch, providing them with adequate nutrition. The food is donated by local schools.
Collected here and there, clothes are made available to local residents.
The nursery, where a pediatrician, a gynecologist, a general practitioner and a psychologist take turns, supported by the state. A dentist also comes once a month. This care is available to the families in the neighborhood, but is not used enough, according to the director. Though it seems to be improving.
The nursery is in disrepair, due to flooding.
In continuation of the corridor, the playground where the children can run, play and walk on the white line, which is essential in a Montessori 3-6 environment.
For 4 years now, la casa del niño has adopted for the children it welcomes the Montessori pedagogy. Argentina Montessori Foundation has offered the 3 to 6 teacher training to one of the teachers. Most of the material is made by the educators.
The beginnings were very difficult, as the principal, Graciela, tells me. Snatching the material from each others’ hand, breaking it, never putting it back where it belongs. Then, little by little, the children settled down. These children who used to arrive dirty, barefoot, and be violent towards each other, not listening to adults have transformed. They speak quietly, do things more slowly, learn to wait, to share…
Children have gained a beautiful self-confidence
Order in all their activities, in their way of thinking and acting.
The choice: The children now know that they can choose what is right for them. This is a very important aspect for the principal who repeats this several times during our interview. She defines this as the purpose of their work: Giving children the capacity to think, decide and know that they can study, work, and one day get out of the « barrio »
Knowledge: They realize that they can learn, understand and open to the world. A father told the principal one day that he had learned through his little 5 year old girl the existence of continents and countries.
Results: Just a few years ago, this neighborhood’s children were the last of their classes. Today, after passing through Casa del niño’s Montessori Kindergarden, they rank among the first ones. Some can read at 5, while some of their older brothers and sisters who have not had the chance to go through it don’t.
Upstairs, the 6 to 15 year-olds. For them, there is no Montessori class, but workshops. Here in the carpentry workshop can be found all the necessary equipment and a professional carpenter as a teacher. Workshops are offered to dads too.
La Feria Americana: Today, the boys are making small decorative items for christmas that the girls will paint, and will be sold next week at the "feria americana" which takes place in a nearby district, with the aim of raising funds for the running of the school.
Meanwhile, the girls freshen up in the yard, it is about 40 °C this morning!
A bucket of water on the head by the teacher, 40 ° or not, is always a good laugh for the friends.
A threat of closure is hanging over the casa del niño. Due to economic difficulties, the government no longer gives what it used to pay. The school is looking for assistance, funds, equipment, volunteers.
If the situation persists, the place won’t be able to be run anymore. Staff (excluding volunteers) will be forced to seek work elsewhere. Teachers tell me about the situation with tears in their eyes while children laugh and play innocently around us, unaware that this place that can no more and no less save their lives, will perhaps have to close its doors.
