The latest generation of the Mafalda Nursery - La Nueva España

Berta Avello opened school when he was 23 years old.She now has 65 and she has decided to retire for several reasons."On the one hand, I think the time has come, but it is also true that this year, with the theme of pandemic, it has been the worst of my work life," explains Avello.“It has been a difficult year at all levels.In addition to having to be closed for a while, we do not receive a single financial aid from the administrations and thus it is not easy to continue.The demographic fall is also noted, now there are many fewer children, ”she says."However, I prefer to stay with all the good moments we have lived," she adds.

Many families in the neighborhood passed through the Chalet of the Mafalda Children's School, but also had students from other parts of Oviedo and other areas of Asturias.Being right next to the old Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA) contributed a lot to generate that diversity.“When the hospital worked there were many workers from other parts of the region that brought their children and left them here throughout their day.Before, with the HUCA in full effervescence, we opened at a quarter past seven in the morning and left after eight in the afternoon, ”recalls the woman, who has always followed the pedagogical line of public schools."We give a welfare service, but also educational," she emphasizes.

Some things have changed since the Mafalda children's school opened its doors.“If a child of the year 1979 we would have given him a tablet would have seemed a science fiction object;However, today's are able to take a mobile phone and put a song they like with two years, ”says Berta Avello.“However, here we continue to do until the last day many things we have already done at the time.As we have a garden, provided that time allows children to be outdoors.We teach you to take care of flowers or see how an ant move.They love it, ”says the woman, who can boast of being the one who was working for the most years of all her guild."I don't want to make mistakes, but I think I'm the oldest in Asturias," she says.

As it passed yesterday, the little dugs of the nursery were being empty and the little ones enjoyed the last nap in the sleeping room of the Children's School of Christ.Each father who came for a child melted in hugs with Berta Avello and her caregiver team, who could not contain tears either.“Some of my students are today doctors, lawyers and, above all, good people.Others, sadly, are not even among us.I have been here all my life and say goodbye is hard, but life is like that, ”says Avello, resigned but happy for the work done for more than four decades.