Remembering a Visionary Grantee Leader: Gerardo Bacalini

Memorial tribute by Gabriela Boyer

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Gerardo Bacalini, a valued IAF collaborator and the visionary founder and driving force behind Argentina's rural education network. He founded a network of high schools, the Federación Asociaciones Centros Educativos para la Producción Total (FACEPT), that helped rural young people develop expertise in agriculture and lead productive lives in their home communities, helping to stem rural to urban migration.

In response to the exodus of young people leaving rural areas in the 1990s for the precarious neighborhoods of the capital, where opportunities were scarcely better, a group of citizens introduced an innovative alternative in Buenos Aires, Argentina's most populated province. Inspired by a French approach to education, they created educational centers that allowed rural students to alternate two weeks of classroom learning with two weeks at home, where they could apply their knowledge and contribute to their family's economic initiatives.

In the words of FACEPT's Board of Directors: "For over 30 years, FACEPT has flourished, driven by the dedication, perseverance, and passion of our esteemed founder, Mr. Gerardo Bacallini. Today, we bid him farewell with heavy hearts. You taught us to fight for our communities, to work tirelessly for a better countryside, to reflect, act, and reflect again. You guided spirited discussions, always offering a steadying hand and fostering consensus."

Growth of the Association of Rural Schools

Bacalini had the expertise in rural educational development, the vision to build an education network, and the charisma to motivate others to this impactful mission. As a grassroots leader and educator, he received a leadership grant from the IAF in 1981 for $16,000 to evaluate the impact of an association of cooperatives, which helped him further develop his knowledge of the field.

Bacalini led support for the rural high schools initiative, gradually engaging civil society organizations, local businesses, producer groups, and local governments in different localities throughout the province. For example, Bacalini enlisted the Argentine Ministry of Education to cover teacher salaries and expand access to more schools.

The IAF first funded FACEPT in 1995, shortly after its founding, with a $322,800 grant to strengthen its rural school system, create local development committees, and expand its strategic partnerships to enhance its prospects for sustainability. In February 2001, we expanded the program, facilitating the creation of ten new educational centers across Buenos Aires and three other provinces, and setting up a research and training hub for rural communities and leaders.

I still recall my visit in May of 2004 when then-IAF Vice President Ramon Daubon and I visited Educational Center No. 9 in Colonia del Toro, Buenos Aires Province. At our close-out meeting, the then-mayor of municipality Carlos Tejedor and FACEPT personnel convened a discussion with technical specialists from other municipalities and sectoral agencies, focusing on local development and governance. I was struck by the amount of buy-in Bacalini and other leaders had managed to raise among local authorities. The mayor expressed a strong desire to explore ways in which FACEPT could expand its technical assistance to other localities. He underscored FACEPT's potential to showcase successful local development models and serve as an essential bridge between rural communities and local governments.

A Legacy of Grassroots Education

FACEPT is more than just a secondary education program. It is a transformative movement that has brought remarkable social and economic success to the communities it serves. Seniors in the program are required to implement income-generating projects, with many gaining access to loans after graduation to further develop these initiatives. This sense of community extends beyond the individual towns where educational centers operate, supported by a robust network of assistance established by FACEPT. For example, Educational Center No. 10 in Rojas will provide support to the newly-formed Educational Center No. 21 in Los Toldos, where the municipality and community have already allocated space for the staff to begin their work.

An external evaluation we commissioned on the grant's outcomes revealed that, thanks in part to Bacalini's passion and personal mission, rural residents gained a stronger voice in public discussions on education, production, and economic issues. In addition to bolstering human capital and fostering social cohesion within these communities, the project demonstrated that when rural youth receive both theoretical and practical training in agricultural management, administration, and microenterprise development, they can successfully launch their own projects without the need to migrate.

Through their daily efforts, grassroots leaders like Gerardo Bacalini are having a transformative legacy, and serve as inspiring examples of how a single life can profoundly impact collective progress. FACEPT's leadership continues to grow this initiative, drawing on partnerships from the private and public sectors and introducing programs like internships and access to credit to continue to modernize. FACEPT's Board of Directors states, "We are committed to ensuring that we, along with future generations, sustain and defend this remarkable movement. We will continue to work in your honor, strengthening the rural education movement that has supported countless young people and families in rural Buenos Aires."

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