Name: Tia Maura Day Care (Aunt Maura) and Maurice of Nassau Elementary School

Location: Community of Pedra Bonita, São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Project Description: The Tia Maura Day Care was created by Maura Costa, a resident of the Community of Pedra Bonita, more than twenty years ago. Only twenty children were overseen by the original day-care center. Over the years, the number of children grew to include children aged from four months to six years old. In 2005, as the need for greater resources became evident, a group of charitable entities joined to help, among which the Henri Hulshoff Foundation. Banks, private schools, and businesses, as well as individuals help with donations to the project.

In 2008, in order to meet the needs of local residents, the Maurice of Nassau Elementary School was established. At the school, the children attend the first part of the Brazilian elementary school program (totaling five school years).

During these school years, the children's are aged from 6-7 to 10-11 years old, depending upon the month in which they were born. In addition to the formal education, children are offered extra-curricular activities, such as computer lessons, English, music, and “capoeira”, a Brazilian cultural martial-art. They spend the entire day under the school supervision, involved in constructive activities they not otherwise have access to.

Over the years, thanks to the help and support of the Henri Hulshoff Foundation and other Brazilian entities, the number of children served grew from 65 to 260. It became necessary to expand the constructed area to house new classrooms and facilities. In the same lot as the Tia Maura Day Care, started more than twenty years ago, the Maurice of Nassau Elementary School was constructed.

Each establishment is responsible for:

a) Day Care Tia Maura
  . Nursery I and II - for children from four months to two years old
  . Toddler I - for three years old children
  . Toddler II - for four years old children
  . Kindergarten I - for 5 years old children
  . Kindergarden II - for 6 years old children

b) Maurice of Nassau Elementary School
  . Offers the first five school years of the Brazil elementary school. It serves children ranging from seven to eleven years of age.

Since the initial involvement of the Henri Hulshoff Foundation, several improvements were made to the buildings of the day care and the elementary school. These improvements were always done in collaboration with other Brazilian entities, private schools, businesses, banks and individual donors.

Among the many improvements made in the school and day care are the construction of ten new classrooms; the creation of a computer room with twenty-five new computers; locker-rooms and bathrooms; a room for teachers and the direction of the school; two new kitchens; a dining hall for the children; stairs and access-ramps; new facades for the entire school building; an expansion to the nursery; new water reservoirs; and the replacement of school desks and furniture.

How to continue this project

The first twenty pupils of the Maurice of Nassau Elementary School will be graduating in 2011. Without our help, they will have to continue their studies at public schools. Unfortunately, most Brazilian public schools are notoriously inadequate. Students from private schools fair much better in life due to better opportunities. Therefore, the Henri Hulshoff Foundation along with other Brazilian institutions will provide scholarships to the children of the Maurice of Nassau Elementary School from 2011 on.

We will try to follow up with the children until they are admitted to college, or until they are properly employed. Only then will we allow us to consider our work completed. Only then "our children" will be certain to have a "better future".