Partner organization
Instituto Promar
Territory / Region
Península de Maraú, Bahia state, Brazil
Support Period
2025 – 2026
In 2025, Instituto Tecendo Infâncias began supporting Maramar Community School, located on the Penínsual de Maraú, in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in partnership with Instituto Promar. Over its 13 years of operation, the school has served more than 400 children by integrating Waldorf pedagogy with local knowledge and cultural traditions.
In a region characterized by significant social vulnerability, where 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 27% of adults are illiterate, Maramar Community School has become a primary access point for quality early childhood education.
With the Institute’s support, the school expanded its capacity by opening a new nursery class and introducing full-day early childhood education. This included hiring a teacher, making infrastructure improvements such as adding a bathroom and kitchen, and acquiring educational toys and learning materials. These measures strengthened both pedagogical and institutional capacity. The initiative also ensures that the children receive four meals a day, reinforcing the school’s role as a place of care, equity, and social protection.
Within the territory, the project has strengthened collaboration with local public authorities, enhancing the initiative’s sustainability and its contribution to the community’s social development.
By 2026, the school will be able to enroll up to 12 children in the nursery class and 18 in full-day early childhood education, benefiting 30 children and their families. This expansion will provide more children with access to a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment, while also giving caregivers greater stability and peace of mind, enabling them to work or pursue other livelihood opportunities.
“This project has fulfilled the school's long-standing dream of offering this opportunity, which it had always hoped to provide but lacked the means to sustain. Today, I see the children happy, joyful, and fulfilled. There are days when some of them do not want to leave, and even cry because they wish to stay longer. We are living in a time deeply shaped by the virtual world, and this has led many children to miss out on fully experiencing their childhood. They lose important opportunities for physical and motor development, spending too much time seated in front of screens. At Maramar, however, children who attend the full-day program benefit from and are protected from excessive exposure to virtual environments. Here, they can truly be children, running, climbing, exploring, playing, experiencing different textures, moving freely, and learning through active engagement. This project brings great joy and meaning to the school and to families in the community.”
Judimari Bonfim Teacher at Maramar Community School