After the floods of June 2023, 51 children from 3 months to 4 years old were unable to attend the kindergarten after the frontal system completely disabled the facilities of the Ayenhue Kindergarten located in the municipality of Coltauco in the O’Higgins Region, one of the areas most affected by the storms that year.
During the second semester of last year, kindergarten teachers visited the children’s homes weekly to ensure they could continue their activities and complete the school year.
In anticipation of the return to classes this year and with the aim of providing a new opportunity and restoring hope to several families in the municipality of Coltauco, the Luksic Foundation and Desafío Levantemos Chile managed the transfer of 9 modular structures from the Valparaíso Region to the O’Higgins Region. These structures were installed on land provided by the Municipality of Coltauco.
This modular building has been designed to serve as a kindergarten and nursery, equipped with standardized furniture including chairs, tables, changing tables, outdoor children’s games, library, among others. The infrastructure has the capacity to accommodate infants from 3 months to two years old in the nursery, and children from two to four years old in the Middle Level.
“Having an educational space from early childhood is essential for the development of boys and girls, which is why we wanted to support the families of the Ayenhue Kindergarten so that their children could be in a safe space designed for this purpose. We are happy to have been able to collaborate with Desafío Levantemos Chile and the Municipality of Coltauco to build this kindergarten where boys and girls can return this year to learn, play, make friends, and develop socio-emotional skills,” said Isabella Luksic, general manager of the Luksic Foundation.
The kindergarten was delivered with all the furniture and equipment necessary for its operation, such as nursery chairs and tables, bookshelves, mats, desks, and lockers.
The Mayor of the municipality of Coltauco, Félix Sánchez, expressed his joy and gratitude for this work: “The contribution that Desafío Levantemos Chile has made to our municipality is invaluable. Not only for this enormous modular kindergarten, which was managed together with the Luksic Foundation, but because the day after the flooding emergency in Coltauco, I contacted them and they immediately came with direct aid for the affected families, which continues to this day. Therefore, this modular kindergarten represents an important milestone for the community because the water in this area swept away everything, leaving the little ones without their daily attendance space. Now, the neighbors have seen the progress of this modular kindergarten, which stands as strong as they have been rising, and that fills us with emotion.”
Ignacio Serrano, the executive director of Desafío Levantemos Chile, added: “Thanks to public-private cooperation, from the Luksic Foundation and the Municipality of Coltauco, it is possible to deliver quality solutions and contribute to better education, especially for boys and girls in their early stages of formation.”
