The Argentinean economy has been on a decline and the country continues to struggle with high public debt and hyperinflation. In addition, the needs of the rural population are not being met by the centrally organised government.
The province of Santiago del Estero is located in northern Argentina. The main source of income in the region is agriculture though the dry subtropical climate and the low rainfall make the cultivation of crops extremely difficult and large-scale livestock breeding is not possible. The farmers who live there are scattered and operate mainly small-scale agriculture.
Engineers Without Borders Switzerland worked together with its partner organisation ISF-Argentina in the rural area around the village of Colonia Dora on this school project, which was built to improve agricultural education of the rural population and thus their socio-economic situation.
Project
The EFA-Avellaneda Secondary School (Escuela de la Familia Agrícola, or Agricultural Family School) is a co-operative school supported by the children’s parents (mainly farmers) and not supported by the government. In addition to secondary school education, the focus of the school is on teaching agricultural topics to improve the efficiency of agricultural production in the local area.
The children from the families in the extensive region stay for two weeks in the school and attend classes before returning to work for two weeks on their parents’ farms, then return to the school again to start the next four week cycle.
The fact that a larger number of students want to take up the chance of having a lasting impact on the development of the local community led to significant unfulfilled demand previously, due to the limited capacity of the school. Every year, many children had to be turned away and thus missed out on schooling.
With the construction of three additional classrooms and a dormitory for teachers, this situation was mitigated. The capacity of the school was increased from 130 to 180 students and 50 new apprenticeships were created, which had a direct and lasting impact on 50 families in a difficult social and economic situation.
Technical Solution
Based on the existing school buildings, the supporting structure consists of a mixture of load-bearing masonry and reinforced concrete frames (“confined masonry”). The vertical roof loads are distributed to the supporting structure by purlins made of structural steel. The whole construction is based on reinforced concrete strip foundations.
The roof is made of corrugated sheet steel. The thermal insulation is ensured by means of mineral fiber elements, which are arranged below the sheet metal roof, as well as an intermediate ceiling made of gypsum fiber boards.
Involved Actors
EFA-Avellaneda School Directorate
Colonia Dora Municipality
Engineers without Borders Argentina (ISF-Ar)
Engineers without borders Switzerland (IngOG+)
Tasks of IngOG +
– Project Execution
– Fundraising
– Technical support during the construction phase
Schedule
Project Planning from September to December 2014
Fundraising December 2014 to March 2015
Execution November 2014 to August 2017